Travelling makes you stronger
by Zanessalover576
Summary: Zac and Vanessa have been dating for four years. Zac gets a major movie role in Australia and is in and out of LA. What will happen when surprising news is announced?
1. Chapter 1

Vanessa Hudgens turned over in her bed and looked at the clock on her bedside table. It read ten thirty AM. She sighed happily knowing that her boyfriend, Zac was coming home after filming a movie in Australia for three months today. Vanessa got up and picked out her outfit and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Twenty minutes later, Vanessa emerged from the bathroom with her hair in natural curls and light makeup. She picked up her bag then left her apartment to go pick up Zac. Vanessa drove to the airport and parked her car. She walked to the arrival gate that Zac would be coming from and sat down anxiously. The loudspeaker announcement had said that Zac's flight just landed so Vanessa stood up and scanned the terminal for him. She finally saw Zac coming through the door and she ran through groups of people to reach him. Once Zac saw her running over, he dropped his luggage and opened his arms as she ran into them. Vanessa hugged him tightly and wrapped her legs around his waist. She finally looked up at him and smiled.

"Hi" Vanessa said happily as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Hi Van" Zac said smiling as he wiped his girlfriend's tears away.

Vanessa moved up in his arms and kissed Zac passionately on the lips. Zac kissed back and ran his fingers through Vanessa's curly brown hair.

"I missed you" Vanessa said as they walked to her car with their fingers entwined.

"God, I missed you too baby. So much" Zac said kissing her cheek.

Vanessa drove back to her apartment with Zac. She opened the door and pounced on him. Zac kissed her lips hard then moved to her neck. Vanessa moaned with passion as she kissed him. They both moved to her bedroom and shut the door as they made love into the early morning. The next day Zac and Vanessa were having a family dinner with Zac's parents in honor of him being on a break of his movie. They both drove to Zac's childhood home and got out of the car. Zac rang the doorbell and was greeted by his mother, Starla Efron.

"Zachary David Alexander Efron! Come here and give your mother a hug" Starla said as Zac went over to her and gave her a hug and a kiss.

Vanessa greeted the Efron family and they all sat in the living room. They talked about how everything in their lives and about Zac's upcoming movie.

"When do you go back?" Dylan, Zac's seventeen year old brother asked.

"I have to go back in a week. I will be home three weeks after that" Zac said as he put his arm around Vanessa.

Vanessa didn't want him to go back because she would miss him a lot. She curled up into Zac's embrace and kissed his cheek. Zac smiled and entwined their fingers together. They both saw that it was getting late so they said goodbye to the Efron's and drove home. Zac opened the door and Vanessa kissed him softly. Zac picked her up and carried her into the bedroom and shut the door behind them. A week later, Zac had to fly back to Australia to continue filming his movie. That morning, Zac woke up next to Vanessa and smiled. He took in her facial features and knew it was going to be hard to leave her again. Vanessa started to stir and opened her eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" Vanessa asked him.

"Yeah, the car is going to pick me up in about fifteen minutes" Zac said smiling and wiping the stray hairs out of his girlfriend's eyes.

"Oh okay" Vanessa said softly.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang signaling that Zac had to leave. Vanessa got out of bed and helped her boyfriend with his bags as she got the door. Zac gave the driver his bags and he turned around to look at Vanessa.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too, be safe" Vanessa said as she hugged him tightly.

"I will" Zac said.

Zac leaned in and kissed Vanessa goodbye as tears fell down her face. Zac pulled away and wiped her tears.

"See you in a couple weeks, babe. I will call you when I get in" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Zac walked down the driveway and got into the car. The car drove away and Vanessa shut the door. She wiped her tears away and sat on the couch. Vanessa called her sister, Stella to see if she wanted to hang out and also get her mind off of Zac.

"Hello?" Stella asked answering her phone.

"Hey Stella, what are you up to today?" Vanessa asked.

"Not much. Want to hang out today? I know Zac left today" Stella said.

Vanessa released more silent tears as she looked out the window. She was proud of Zac but she wanted to be with him too.

"Van? Hello?" Stella asked.

"Huh? Oh sorry, Stella. Yeah I want to hang out. I will pick you up in an hour" Vanessa said trying to sound happy.

The two sisters hung up and Vanessa went to go take a shower and get ready to go out with Stella. An hour later, Stella rang the doorbell of Vanessa's apartment. Vanessa ran to get it and hugged Stella tightly.

"Hey, hey don't cry Van. He will be home in a couple weeks" Stella said trying to comfort her sister.

"I know, I just miss him and want him to be home" Vanessa said softly as she wiped her tears away.

The two girls decided to watch a movie. They snuggled together on the couch until the credits started rolling. Stella left after the movie and promised that they would hang out in a couple days. Vanessa closed the door after saying goodbye to her sister. She heard her phone ring and ran to get it. She looked at the caller ID and smiled.

"Hey, how was your flight?" Vanessa asked her boyfriend.

"It was normal, no casualties. How are you?" Zac asked.

"I'm okay, but I miss you" Vanessa said truthfully.

"I know, sweetie. I miss you too. I will be home before you know it, though" Zac said.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted so I probably should go to bed" Vanessa said.

"Okay, baby. I love you, Vanessa" Zac said.

"I love you too, Zac" Vanessa said.

They both hung up and Vanessa realized this is how her relationship was going to be forever. She fell asleep and dreamt of Zac.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Vanessa woke up in her bed and reached for another body but remembered that Zac was gone. She opened her eyes and looked at the pictures of them hanging on the wall of her bedroom. There were pictures from award shows, High School Musical (do not own), and pictures that were taken at their homes. Vanessa suddenly ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents in her stomach. Once she finished, she brushed her teeth and went back to bed so she could try to sleep off the sickness that had overtaken her. A couple hours later, her phone rang and Vanessa looked at the caller ID, it was Zac. She smiled and picked up the phone.

"Hey baby" Vanessa said trying to sound as happy as possible.

"Hey babe, how are you?" Zac asked.

"I'm okay, I just woke up and going to go to my parents house for the day. How's filming?" Vanessa asked.

"Aw sweetheart, did I wake you up?" Zac asked.

"No, I was up. I was about to get ready but my phone rang" Vanessa said.

"Oh filming is great. It's just so time consuming. I just want to be home and with you. I miss you, Van" Zac said.

"I miss you too" Vanessa said.

"Anyway, I have to go start running lines. I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too Zac" Vanessa said.

They hung up and Vanessa went to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. She didn't tell Zac that she had gotten sick earlier because she didn't want him to worry while he was working. Vanessa went to the bathroom and took a shower. Twenty minutes later, she came out and fixed her shirt in the mirror. Vanessa turned sideways and realized she gained a little bit of weight. She thought it was because of the stress of Zac filming and not being home so she ignored it. Vanessa picked up her bag and left her house to go see her family. She pulled up at the Hudgens home and got out of the car. Vanessa walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Her mother, Gina answered it.

"Hey Vanessa, come in" Gina said.

"Hi mom, how are you?" Vanessa asked her mother.

"Fine, how are you? Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale" Gina said,

"I threw up this morning and I gained a little weight" Vanessa said truthfully.

"Do you think you might be pregnant?" Gina asked her daughter.

"I don't think so, Mom" Vanessa said.

"I'm going to go buy some tests while you stay here and start drinking water" Gina said,

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Gina closed the door and Vanessa put her head in her hands. She was thinking about what would happen if she really was pregnant. Zac just got a huge movie contract and she didn't want to ruin his career. Vanessa was petrified of the thought. She was soon pulled out of her thoughts when her mother came through the door with a bag full of pregnancy tests. Vanessa took the bag and went into the bathroom. She came out and waited for ten minutes until they were fully processed. Vanessa walked shakily to the bathroom and looked down at the tests. _Positive._ She sat on the bathroom floor and cried. Gina came into the bathroom and saw her daughter crying and wrapped her arms around her.

"It's going to be okay, Vanessa. Everything will be fine" Gina said.

"I hope so" Vanessa said tearfully.

"Do you want to call Zac, or should I?" Gina asked.

"I will call him" Vanessa said.

Vanessa went to the living room and picked up her phone. She dialed Zac's number and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Zac answered.

"Hi" Vanessa said tearfully.

"Vanessa, sweetheart what's wrong?" Zac asked.

"I'm pregnant" Vanessa said crying.

"Really?" Zac asked surprised.

"Yeah. Look, I am going to bring your key and stuff to your parent's house-"Vanessa said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean, bring my stuff? Honey, I am not breaking up with you" Zac said.

"Your not?" Vanessa asked crying.

"No sweetie. This is my responsibility too. I am going to be there for you no matter what. I know it's going to be difficult for a few weeks because I am filming but it will be okay. I am happy, I really am" Zac said.

Vanessa sat on the living room couch crying. She was happy that Zac wasn't going to leave her and that he would still love her.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too, baby. I know your scared to death, I am too. I want you to stay at your mom's house until I get home okay? I don't want anything bad to happen to either of you" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

They both hung up and Vanessa walked into the kitchen. Her mother looked at her wanting to know what happened with Zac.

"So what happened?" Gina asked.

"He's happy. He said he isn't leaving me" Vanessa said smiling.

"That's good, then. Don't worry anymore Vanessa. It's not good for the baby" Gina said.

"Zac said he wants me to stay here until he comes home so you can keep an eye on me for him and so nothing bad happens to me or the baby" Vanessa told her mother.

"That's fine. Now, I want you to go upstairs and get into bed. I will bring you some tea" Gina said.

Vanessa climbed the stairs to her childhood bedroom and pulled back the covers and got into bed. She closed her eyes and dreamt of what her future with a baby would be like.


	3. Chapter 3

A week later Vanessa woke up with an urge to throw up. She ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents in her stomach. Vanessa then washed her face and brushed her teeth. She was happy that Zac was finally coming home today. Vanessa went downstairs and opened the refrigerator and picked up raspberries and then went to the pantry to get some peanut butter. Her latest craving. She devoured them and washed her utensils. Gina came into the kitchen and smiled.

"Are you excited to see Zac?" Gina asked her daughter.

"Did you really just ask that question? Of course I am excited" Vanessa said smiling.

"We have to leave in an hour to go to the airport so go take a shower and get dressed" Gina said.

Vanessa walked back upstairs and got her clothes then walked to the bathroom to take a shower. She came out twenty minutes later with a huge smile on her face. Vanessa walked downstairs and left with her mother to go pick up Zac. Gina and Vanessa pulled up to the airport and walked to the terminal that Zac would be arriving at. Vanessa was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw her boyfriend's face when he got off the plane. She sprinted over to him and hugged him tightly, burying herself in his shirt. Zac put his arms around her and kissed her head softly. He put his finger under her chin and brought her lips to his, kissing her sweetly.

"How are you feeling, baby?" Zac asked as they walked over to Vanessa's mother.

"I'm throwing up nonstop and eating weird things but I am okay now that you're here" Vanessa said entwining their fingers together.

"Have you gone to the doctor yet?" Zac asked.

"No. I wanted to go with you" Vanessa said looking at him.

"We have to make an appointment today" Zac said.

"Fatherly instinct?" Vanessa asked.

"I did some reading while I was on my breaks" Zac said.

Vanessa smiled and kissed his cheek. Zac put his arm around her and smiled as they got to Gina.

"Welcome home, Zac" Gina said.

"Thanks Gina. Thank you for taking care of her while I was gone. I really appreciate it" Zac said.

"No problem. She is my daughter, after all" Gina said.

They all left the airport and Zac and Vanessa drove to Vanessa's apartment. Vanessa unlocked the door and walked in. Zac looked around and saw the kitchen, a mess.

"Cravings started I see?" Zac asked jokingly.

"Like you would never believe" Vanessa said.

Zac took her hand and sat on the couch as she sat next to him. Zac looked at her face and kissed her cheek.

"I love you, Vanessa. I want you to know that" Zac said.

"I love you too, Zac" Vanessa said.

Vanessa snuggled into her boyfriend's chest. Zac knew she was scared to death of the fact that they were going to have a child but she didn't want him to know.

"I called the doctor and set up an appointment for you tomorrow" Zac said.

"Will you go with me?" Vanessa asked.

"You know I will, Van. Remember we are in this together. You aren't going to do it alone" Zac said.

"I know. Thank you" Vanessa said.

"I was also thinking while on my flight that I should probably move in" Zac said.

"That would be a great idea" Vanessa said kissing his cheek.

"How about after your appointment tomorrow I move some stuff in?" Zac suggested.

"That sounds good" Vanessa said.

The rest of the day Vanessa and Zac relaxed and talked about the baby. Tomorrow would answer a lot of the questions they both have been having. The next morning, Vanessa ran to the bathroom with Zac behind her, holding her hair as she released the contents in her stomach. After she was done, she brushed her teeth and leaned into Zac's embrace.

"Morning sickness sucks" Vanessa said pouting.

"I know, but it's only temporary" Zac said.

"I am going to go get ready to go" Vanessa said.

"Okay, baby" Zac said kissing her lips.

Vanessa walked into her closet and picked out her clothes. She walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind and took a shower. Vanessa came out and wrapped her arms around.

"Ready to go?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

Zac and Vanessa walked to the car and drove to the doctor's office. Vanessa signed herself in and sat down next to Zac and waited until her name was called.

"Vanessa Hudgens?" A nurse called.

Vanessa and Zac got up and followed the nurse into an exam room. The nurse asked Vanessa a few questions and left the room.

"You scared?" Zac asked.

"Yeah. You?" Vanessa asked.

"Very, but there is nothing to worry about" Zac said.

The doctor knocked on the door and opened it. The door revealed a middle aged brunette woman. She smiled at Zac and Vanessa.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Peter" The woman said introducing herself.

"Hi, I'm Vanessa and this is my boyfriend, Zac" Vanessa said.

"What seems to be the problem today?" Dr. Peter asked.

"I think I am pregnant. I took a pregnancy test and it was positive but I wanted to come in to make sure" Vanessa said.

"Okay, let's take a look" Dr. Peter said.

Dr. Peter rolled Vanessa's shirt up revealing her tan and toned stomach. She squeezed some gel onto it and rolled a wand over the gel. Vanessa squeezed Zac's hand, nervously. Dr. Peter looked at the screen and smiled.

"You certainly are pregnant, Vanessa. Congratulations! You are about four months along" Dr. Peter said smiling.

"Thank you, Dr. Peter" Vanessa said.

Dr. Peter left the room and Vanessa looked down, shamefully. Zac saw this and kissed her head.

"Babe, what are you thinking about?" Zac asked.

"Just how, I ruined your career" Vanessa said tearfully.


	4. Chapter 4

Zac looked at Vanessa and walked over to her. He kissed her cheek, then her lips. Vanessa looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Honey, you didn't ruin anything. I know it was shocking, I admit that. I will always love you and this baby no matter what okay?" Zac said wiping the tears from his girlfriend's eyes.

"Really?" Vanessa asked.

"Really. Baby, I love you so much that I could never picture myself without you. I know that this came as a shock to both of us but we will get through it together. We have five months to" Zac said.

Vanessa leaned into Zac's embrace and gripped his shirt. She cried because she was scared of her and Zac's future. Zac rubbed her back soothingly.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too, sweetheart. More than anything" Zac said.

Zac and Vanessa left the doctor's office and drove home. They unlocked the door and sat on the couch.

"When are we going to tell your parents?" Vanessa asked.

"How about we go up there this weekend? Dylan will be out of school so it will be perfect" Zac said.

"Okay baby" Vanessa said softly.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. You are exhausted" Zac said as he helped Vanessa up and walked her to the bedroom.

Zac pulled back the covers and Vanessa got into bed. He tucked her in tightly and kissed her head, then her stomach lightly.

"I love you, Van" Zac said.

"I love you too, Zac" Vanessa said.

Zac left the room and picked up his phone. He had to call his parents and tell them that they were coming to San Luis Obispo this weekend to visit.

"Hello?" Starla answered the phone.

"Hi mom" Zac said.

"How are you, Zac?" Starla asked her son.

"I'm fine. Vanessa and I wanted to come up and visit tomorrow. Are you free?" Zac asked his mother.

"Yeah we are here tomorrow. We will see you then" Starla said.

They hung up and Zac went to the bedroom. He took his shirt off and got into bed next to Vanessa. The next morning Vanessa and Zac were driving to San Luis Obispo to see the Efron family and tell them the news.

"Zac? What if your parents hate me forever?" Vanessa asked.

"Baby, they love you to death. They won't hate you, I promise" Zac said kissing her cheek.

The couple arrived at the Efron's. They walked hand in hand to the door. Zac took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Starla answered it, smiling.

"My baby!" Starla said hugging Zac tightly.

"Hi mom" Zac said as he kissed her cheek.

"Vanessa! How are you?" Starla asked.

"I'm doing well, Starla. How are you?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm so happy both of you are here" Starla gushed.

"Mom, we have some news so can you go get dad and Dylan?" Zac asked.

"Sure, I will be right back" Starla said.

Zac rubbed Vanessa's back soothingly. He entwined his free hand with hers as the Efron's piled into the family room.

"What's the big news, Zac?" Dylan asked curiously.

Zac looked at Vanessa and she nodded.

"Vanessa's pregnant" Zac said simply.

"Oh honey! I'm so happy for you!" Starla said.

Vanessa started crying hysterically into Zac's arms. Starla looked at Zac and he mouthed "scared to tell you".

"Vanessa, we are very happy, honestly. You and Zac will make great parents" David, Zac's father said.

Vanessa smiled and hugged Zac tighter. He rubbed her back and kissed her forehead.

"Wait, so does that mean I am going to be an uncle?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah, Dylan" Zac said.

"Cool" Dylan said smiling.

The rest of the day Vanessa and Zac hung out with the Efron family. They were all excited about the new addition to their family. Vanessa and Zac drove home to LA a couple hours later. They were in bed talking about the baby.

"Well, that went better than I expected" Zac said.

"Yeah it did. I'm glad our families are supportive of this. If they weren't, I don't know what I would have done" Vanessa said.

"I know. We have five months before we get to meet him or her" Zac said placing a hand on Vanessa's stomach.

Vanessa put her hand on top of Zac's and leaned in and kissed his lips. Zac smiled and moved a stray hair away from Vanessa's face.

"I love you baby girl" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

They both fell asleep happily knowing that their families were happy about the baby. The next morning, Vanessa got up and bolted to the bathroom. Zac held her hair as she emptied the contents of her stomach out. After she finished, she brushed her teeth and washed her face.

"How are you feeling today?" Zac asked.

"I feel better than I have been" Vanessa said.

"That's good. Dylan and I are having dinner tonight" Zac said.

"Without me? What, am I too fat for you now huh?" Vanessa asked fuming.

"Sweetheart-" Zac started.

"Don't you sweetheart me" Vanessa said.

Vanessa walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Zac looked at the bathroom door in disbelief. He didn't know what was going on until he realized she was having a mood swing, Zac gave Vanessa some time alone until she came bursting out of the bathroom sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Zac. I was a jerk to you. I don't deserve you" Vanessa said crying into Zac's chest.

"Honey, it's fine. Things like this are going to happen all the time okay?" Zac said.

Vanessa snuggled into Zac's chest thinking of how lucky she was to have got an amazing boyfriend that cared so much about her.


	5. Chapter 5

A couple weeks later Vanessa was five months pregnant and very clingy. She wouldn't allow Zac to go out for more than an hour. Zac would try to make her feel as comfortable as possible but nothing worked. One night, Vanessa was awoken by sharp pains in her back and stomach. She got up and tried to walk around to make the pain lessen but nothing worked. Zac woke up and was startled that Vanessa wasn't in bed. He got up and walked into the family room to see Vanessa with one hand on her back and one on her expanding stomach. Zac saw tears streaming down her cheeks he went over to her.

"Van, why are you up this late sweetie?" Zac asked.

"Cramps and really bad, Zac" Vanessa said crying.

"Come here" Zac said.

Vanessa laid down on the couch with Zac as he massaged her back and stomach until she felt no more pain. Zac kissed Vanessa's head and helped her back to bed.

"Thank you, baby" Vanessa said.

"No problem, Van. Remember we are in this together okay?" Zac said reminding her.

Vanessa nodded and snuggled into Zac's chest. She fell asleep soundly and knew that she could have never picked more of an amazing man like Zac. The next morning, Vanessa was getting ready for her five month checkup. She was standing sideways in the bathroom looking at herself when Zac came in. He wrapped his arms around her bump and kissed her shoulder.

"You are beautiful Vanessa" Zac said.

"Thank you Zac" Vanessa said as she entwined their fingers together.

"Are you ready to go?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, let's go" Vanessa said walking out of the bathroom.

The couple drove to the hospital and Vanessa signed herself in. She sat down carefully and leaned her head on Zac's shoulder. Vanessa's name was called a couple minutes later so they followed the nurse into an exam room. The nurse closed the door promising that the doctor would be in shortly.

"I think the baby is a boy" Vanessa said randomly.

"Oh really?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, he would look like you" Vanessa said.

"Hmm…well we will see about that" Zac said.

Dr. Peter came in and smiled at the couple.

"Hey guys, how are you feeling, Vanessa?" Dr. Peter asked.

"Fat" Vanessa said simply.

Zac covered his mouth to try to hide his laughter. Vanessa had been complaining about her weight since her bump had arrived.

"In four months it will all be over though. So, let's look at that baby" Dr. Peter said.

Zac helped Vanessa lie back and took her hand in his. Dr. Peter moved her shirt up revealing Vanessa's five month bump. She put the gel on her stomach and moved the wand over it.

"Do you guys want to know the sex?" Dr. Peter asked.

"Yes!" they both said in unison.

"You are having a boy" Dr. Peter said.

Vanessa started crying as Zac rubbed her shoulders and kissed her head.

"Thank you, Dr. Peter" Zac said.

Dr. Peter left and Zac helped Vanessa sit up and wipe the gel off. He looked into her eyes and wiped her tears.

"Are these happy tears babe?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, I'm so happy" Vanessa said kissing his lips.

The couple went home and called their families to invite them over for dinner the following day to announce the news. Vanessa snuggled into Zac as she sat down on the couch.

"Are you happy we are having a boy?" Vanessa asked.

"Of course I'm happy. I would be happy either way" Zac said kissing her head softly.

The next day Vanessa woke up and saw Zac still asleep. She got out of bed carefully so she wouldn't wake him then went into the bathroom to take a shower. Vanessa came out twenty minutes later and saw Zac sitting up in bed.

"How are you feeling today?" Zac asked as he put a hand on her bump.

"I feel good today. No more morning sickness" Vanessa said smiling.

"Well that's good. What time are our parents coming over?" Zac asked.

"They are coming at two" Vanessa said.

Zac kissed Vanessa's lips sweetly and then her bump. He then went to the bathroom to take a shower. A couple hours later, the doorbell rang. Vanessa ran as fast she could to the door but Zac beat her to it.

"Whoa Van. Where's the fire?" Zac joked.

"I'm excited to see our families" Vanessa said excitedly.

Zac opened the door to find Vanessa's mother and sister. Zac greeted them and gave them each a hug. They both ran over to Vanessa and hugged her.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Gina asked.

"I feel good today. No more morning sickness. Thank God" Vanessa said happily.

The doorbell rang again and Zac got the door. He opened it and it revealed his family.

"Hey guys!" Zac greeted as each of them hugged him.

"How are you, Zac?" Starla asked her son.

"I'm fine. I'm really happy" Zac said.

Vanessa and Zac called everyone's attention as they sat down in the family room.

"So what is the big news?" everyone asked Zac and Vanessa.

"We went to the doctor a couple days ago and found out what we are having. We both wanted you all to know at the same time so there would be no gossiping between families and so forth. Vanessa, do you want to tell them?" Zac asked.

"We are having a boy!" Vanessa said happily.

Everyone cheered and screamed happily. They all congratulated the couple on their new addition. The rest of the day the families talked about the baby and who he would look like.


	6. Chapter 6

A couple weeks later Vanessa was sleeping soundly when she felt a kick in her stomach. She woke up incoherently of what had just happened. Vanessa shook Zac and he woke up startled.

"What's wrong baby?" Zac asked.

"I think that our son just kicked for the first time, Zac" Vanessa said smiling.

Zac put his hand on Vanessa's stomach and felt a kick at his hand. He smiled and kissed Vanessa's lips.

"That's amazing" Zac said.

"I know. Now it feels like he's actually in there. I can't wait until we get to meet him" Vanessa said.

"Yeah, but before then you need to get some sleep. You have to save that energy up for when something does happen" Zac said.

"Okay, Zac. I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too Van. Now, go to sleep" Zac said sternly.

Vanessa fell asleep happily knowing that the day she will get to meet her son will be approaching soon. The next morning, Vanessa woke up happily. She was excited that in less than three months she will get to hold her son. Vanessa walked into the kitchen and was craving chocolate but Zac had hid it from her. She went to the dining room table and picked up a chair. Vanessa then held onto the kitchen counter to help herself up while she looked in the cabinets for chocolate. Little did she know Zac was watching her put her plan together.

"What are you doing?" Zac asked sternly.

"Trying to find the chocolate that you hid from me" Vanessa said.

"Babe, come on. Get down from there before you hurt yourself. Are you crazy?" Zac asked.

Vanessa looked at him shamefully. All she wanted was her chocolate. Vanessa didn't think that was too much to ask.

"I just wanted my chocolate. That's all. I wanted to get it myself because you are doing so much for me already. I wanted to give you a break and make myself get what I want" Vanessa said.

Zac looked at the tears forming in his girlfriend's eyes. He took her hand and pulled her body onto his so she was sitting on his lap.

"Vanessa, you don't need to let me have a break. I do everything for you because I don't want to risk you or our son getting hurt. I know you feel like a burden on me but your not. You are carrying my son and I love you so much that I want to do as much as I can for you to make you feel as comfortable as possible. You have to tell me what you want sweetheart" Zac said.

Vanessa had tears running down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around Zac's shoulders.

"I'm sorry" Vanessa said.

"Hey, hey don't cry. So do we have a deal? You are going to tell me if you want something" Zac said wiping a tear from Vanessa's eyes.

"Yeah, we have a deal. Now, can I have my chocolate?" Vanessa asked.

Zac rolled his eyes at her obsession with chocolate. He stood up on the chair and retrieved the chocolate from the top shelf of the cabinet. Zac got off the chair safely and gave Vanessa her chocolate.

"Thank you baby. I love you" Vanessa said kissing him on the cheek.

"I love you too, Van" Zac said.

The rest of the day Vanessa and Zac watched movies and talked about the baby who was expected to make his appearance in two and a half months. That night, Vanessa was in bed with Zac when she felt a pain rip through her body. She closed her eyes tightly until it subsided and shook it off thinking that the baby kicked her too hard. The pain came back fifteen minutes later and tears fell down Vanessa's cheeks. She rubbed Zac's arm and he turned over and looked at her.

"Van, what's wrong?" Zac asked concerned.

"I think something is wrong. I need to go to the hospital" Vanessa said crying.

"Okay sweetie. Come on" Zac said calmly.

Zac got out of bed and went to Vanessa's side. He brought her clothes and helped her change. They both went to the family room so Zac could get his keys.

"Are you okay?" Zac asked Vanessa.

"It hurts, Zac" Vanessa said holding his hand tightly.

They left the house and drove to the hospital. Zac got a wheelchair for Vanessa, who gladly took it. A nurse admitted them to a hospital room and were awaiting Dr. Peter.

"Zac, is everything going to be okay?" Vanessa asked nervously.

"Sweetheart, everything is going to be fine. Dr. Peter will be here soon to tell us what's wrong" Zac said.

Vanessa slumped against the pillows in the hospital bed with her hands on her seven month baby bump. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Peter came in.

"Hi guys, so I figured out what was going on" Dr. Peter said.

"Is my baby okay?" Vanessa asked.

"The baby is fine. He is perfectly healthy. You, on the other hand, are way too stressed. This false alarm happened because you don't take it easy. I'm putting you on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy" Dr. Peter explained.

Zac released the breath he had held since he left the house. He looked at Vanessa, who had a hand on her bump.

"Thank you, Dr. Peter" Zac said.

Dr. Peter left the room. Vanessa cried into Zac's arms. Zac rubbed her back soothingly.

"Vanessa, honey look at me" Zac said.

Vanessa looked at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes.

"He's fine and you are fine okay? You just have to let me do everything like I told you" Zac said.

"Okay, Zac" Vanessa said.

"I love you" Zac said sincerely.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

Vanessa got released later that day. The couple went home and relaxed. Zac did everything that Vanessa asked for. A month left until the baby comes and Zac and Vanessa can't wait.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day Vanessa woke up to see Zac gone. She looked around the room and didn't find her boyfriend. Vanessa sank into the pillows of the bed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Zac?" Vanessa called.

Zac walked into the bedroom and looked at his frustrated girlfriend. He smiled and kissed her lips.

"Yes babe?" Zac asked.

"Can I get up and help you, please?" Vanessa pleaded.

"No. Van, you heard what Dr. Peter said. You have to stay in bed and the only time you can get out of bed is to go to the bathroom. I know you hate it, sweetheart. It's the best for you and him" Zac said.

"How about this, you can carry me to the family room. Since I can't be on my feet, then I can help you while lying down on the couch?" Vanessa bargained.

Zac sighed and looked at his pleading girlfriend. Vanessa's hair was in every position possible. Her stomach was bulging out of her shirt. She had dark circles around her eyes.

"Okay, but under one condition" Zac said.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked.

"You have to stay on the couch and not move. Then you have to give me a kiss" Zac said smiling.

"I guess I can do that" Vanessa said.

Vanessa leaned into Zac and kissed his lips passionately. Zac pulled back and smiled at her. He kissed her nose, causing her to giggle.

"Alright now, let's move you" Zac said.

Zac helped Vanessa up and into his strong, muscular arms. He walked to the family room and placed his eight month pregnant girlfriend on the couch. Zac then continued to put the furniture that Vanessa had picked out for the baby's room together.

"Baby?" Vanessa asked.

"Hmm?" Zac answered.

"What are we going to name him? We have a month to put together a name" Vanessa said.

Zac looked at Vanessa and stopped what he was doing. He sat next to her on the couch.

"How about this, you decide on the first name and I will do the middle name?" Zac suggested.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

A couple hours later, Vanessa was back in bed. She woke up from her nap suddenly.

"Zac!" Vanessa yelled.

Zac came running into the bedroom looking horrified.

"What's wrong?" Zac asked concerned.

"I figured out what his first name is going to be" Vanessa said proudly.

"Already?" Zac asked incredulously.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

"What is it?" Zac asked nervously.

"Troy. I mean I thought it would be a good name because our son is a combination of you and I. We met on the set of High School Musical (do not own) and you played Troy" Vanessa said.

"Are you sure?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Vanessa said proudly.

"Then I like it. Want to know his middle name?" Zac asked.

"Yes please" Vanessa said.

"Alexander. It's my middle name and I want to pass it down to him so he could name his son that also" Zac said.

"I like it. Troy Alexander Efron" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled and kissed Vanessa's lips. A couple weeks later, Vanessa was nine months pregnant. She was so happy that she was inches away from holding her son, Troy. Zac had a press conference so he was gone for a few days, leaving Vanessa at her mother's house. Vanessa was sitting in her childhood bedroom with Stella when she felt pain in her stomach. She closed her eyes until it passed.

"Vanessa, are you okay?" Stella asked concerned.

"Stella, go get mom" Vanessa said calmly as she breathed through a contraction.

Stella ran out of the room and got her mother. Gina and Stella came into the bedroom.

"Vanessa, how far apart are they?" Gina asked her daughter.

"About ten minutes" Vanessa said.

"We have to get you to the hospital" Gina said.

Stella and Gina helped Vanessa to the car. Once they got into the car Vanessa realized something very important.

"Stella, you have to call Zac" Vanessa said.

Stella took Vanessa's phone and dialed Zac's number.

"Van? Are you okay?" Zac asked concerned.

"Zac, it's Stella. Vanessa just went into labor. You have to meet us at the hospital fast" Stella said.

"Alright. I'm on my way" Zac said.

They both hung and Stella gave Vanessa her hand, which she gladly took. The Hudgens women drove to the hospital and got Vanessa a hospital room. Vanessa closed her eyes in pain as the contractions got closer together.

"It hurts so much" Vanessa said.

"I know sweetheart, but it will be over soon" Gina told her daughter.

Zac came through the door breathing heavily. He smiled at Vanessa to help calm her down. Gina got up from her seat so Zac could sit next to Vanessa. Gina and Stella left the room to give the couple some privacy.

"Troy is coming" Vanessa said gripping Zac's hand.

"I know honey" Zac said kissing her forehead.

Vanessa tried to sleep through the pain but nothing seemed to work. She had only a couple hours until she got to meet her son.


	8. Chapter 8

Zac and Vanessa had been in the hospital for about three hours. The appearance of both of them had changed dramatically. Troy was sitting in a chair next to Vanessa's hospital bed in a suit and tie. He had taken his jacket off and loosened his tie. Vanessa was covered in sweat and her eyes with dark circles around them. Zac was holding Vanessa's hand as she tried to get through the contractions.

"Breathe, Van. Just breathe" Zac coached Vanessa as she breathed through a contraction.

As it passed Vanessa relaxed and the grip she had on Zac's hand decreased. Vanessa leaned her head back against the bed. Dr. Peter had come in about an hour ago announcing that Vanessa was 5 centimeters dilated. Zac massaged Vanessa's stomach in between contractions.

"How are you holding up, Zac?" Vanessa asked tiredly.

"Not nearly as well as you. He's almost here, babe. In a couple hours we are going to be parents to the most adorable son in the world" Zac said.

Vanessa laughed then stopped and was replaced by pain. She gripped Zac's hand for dear life. As soon as it passed, a nurse came in with the drugs that they had wanted to take to relieve pain. Vanessa was told to lean forward onto Zac, as the anesthesiologist administered the drug. Vanessa lied back down and instantly found relief.

"Feeling better?" Zac asked.

"Much, thank you. How's your hand?" Vanessa asked.

"It's okay. A little sore but I'm not nearly in much pain like you were" Zac said brushing the sweaty hair out his girlfriend's face.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too, sweetheart. Try to get some sleep baby. You won't want to get any once he's here" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said as she turned to her side and fell asleep.

A couple hours later, Vanessa woke up after Dr. Peter came in and checked her out. She was at nine centimeters. Dr. Peter was going to move Vanessa to the delivery room to get set up.

"You okay?" Zac asked.

"I'm nervous, but excited" Vanessa said.

"Yeah, me too. You will be fine baby" Zac said.

Dr. Peter took her seat at Vanessa's legs and instructed the nurse and Troy to hold each of Vanessa's legs. She then told Vanessa what she needed her to do. Vanessa held Zac's hand tightly.

"Alright Vanessa, I want you to take a deep breathe and push!" Dr. Peter said.

Vanessa leaned forward and pushed hard until she was red in the face. After the contraction was over she leaned her head back against the bed.

"You are doing great baby" Zac said.

"Vanessa, I need a big push" Dr. Peter said.

Vanessa pushed and fell against the bed. Zac kissed her head softly and wiped the sweat off her head with a cloth.

"Vanessa, your son's head is out. Just one more" Dr. Peter said.

"You can do it baby" Zac said.

Vanessa pushed one last time and felt the baby leave her body. Dr. Peter placed the baby on Vanessa's chest. Vanessa started to cry as she took her son's features in.

"You were amazing baby! I love you so much" Zac said as he kissed her lips passionately.

"What's his name?" a nurse asked.

"Troy Alexander Efron" Zac said proudly.

Vanessa smiled at the newborn with tears going down her face. Zac kissed her head and then Troy's. Vanessa held her arms out to Zac so he could hold Troy for the first time.

"He has your face, Van" Zac said looking at his son's features.

"He has your nose" Vanessa said.

"Thank you for making me a daddy" Zac said kissing her nose.

"Thank you for making me a mommy" Vanessa said smiling.

Vanessa fell asleep a few minutes later. She was exhausted. Zac put Troy in the bassinet next to Vanessa's hospital bed. He was so happy that his son was finally here. Zac went out to the hallway of the hospital to call Gina and his parents to tell them that his son was here. Gina was the first one at the hospital. Zac saw her in the hallway and went up to her and gave her a hug.

"How is she, Zac?" Gina asked.

"She's asleep. She did great. Troy is perfectly healthy" Zac said.

"That's good. How are you, daddy?" Gina asked smiling.

"I'm doing pretty well. I'm so happy that he's here and safe. Also that Van is okay" Zac said smiling.

Gina gave Zac a hug and went into the hospital room to meet her grandson. A couple minutes later, Zac's family came. He gave everyone a hug and they all went into the room to see Troy.

"He looks just like you, Zac" Starla told her son.

"I think he looks more like Vanessa. He may have my personality, but we will just have to see" Zac said.

"I love you, Troy" Vanessa whispered to the newborn as she kissed his head.

Zac smiled and went up to her and kissed her head. Vanessa looked at him and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Zac asked.

"I'm feeling pretty good. I'm so happy that he's finally here" Vanessa said.

"I know. He looks a lot like you, babe" Zac said .

"He has your lips" Vanessa said smiling.

The rest of the day, Vanessa and Zac got to know their son better. That night, both of them fell asleep with big smiles on their faces.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Vanessa was holding Troy in her arms and talking with Zac when there was a knock on the door. Dylan, Zac's brother poked his head in and smiled.

"Is it okay to come in?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah, you are safe. How are you Dylan?" Vanessa asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question? You just had a baby and you look perfect still" Dylan joked.

"Well if you saw me a couple hours ago you wouldn't be saying that" Vanessa said.

"Anyway, how's my nephew? Do I get to know his name?" Dylan asked.

"His name is Troy Alexander Efron. He's perfectly healthy" Zac said.

"Do you want to hold him Dylan?" Vanessa asked.

"Sure" Dylan said carefully taking the newborn out of Vanessa's arms.

"Remember to support his head" Zac reminded his brother.

"He looks just like you Van" Dylan said.

"Why does everyone think he doesn't look like me?" Zac asked himself.

"Baby, I am sure he will look like you when he's older" Vanessa said.

"Hopefully. He is so tiny" Zac said.

"Ha! small is an understatement" Vanessa said.

"Okay, small once he was out" Zac said.

"Yeah, well I just wanted to stop by and see him. Send my congratulations to you guys" Dylan said.

"Thanks for coming Dylan" Vanessa said kissing his cheek.

"No problem" Dylan said.

Dylan and Zac shook hand then walked out the door. Dr. Peter came in smiling.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Peter asked.

"Fine, when can I get out of here?" Vanessa asked.

"Tonight" Dr. Peter said.

"Cool" Vanessa said.

"I just have to have you sign these discharge papers and you will be all set to go" Dr. Peter said.

Vanessa signed the documents after reading them carefully. She then gave them back to Dr. Peter who took them and left the room. Zac then came back into the room and smiled.

"I am free to go" Vanessa said.

"All right. Here, I will hold him while you get ready" Zac said.

Vanessa gave Troy over to Zac and walked to the bathroom to get dressed. Ten minutes later, Vanessa emerged from the bathroom and was ready to go.

"Ready?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, let's go home" Vanessa said taking Troy from Zac's arms.

The little family drove home and put Troy to bed seeing that he was asleep. Vanessa went to the bedroom and fell onto the bed.

"Tired?" Zac asked.

"Yeah. Having a baby really wears you out" Vanessa said.

"I love you babe" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said kissing his lips.

The rest of the day Zac and Vanessa relaxed around the house with the interruptions of occasional cries from Troy. That night, Troy started crying around two in the morning. Vanessa woke up and walked to the baby's room and picked him up. Zac walked in a few minutes after.

"Is he okay?" Zac asked.

"He's hungry" Vanessa said.

"Oh, well do you want me to leave?" Zac asked.

"No, I want you to stay" Vanessa said.

"You sure?" Zac asked.

"Yeah I mean you are his father" Vanessa said.

Vanessa pulled her shirt down and allowed the infant to eat his evening meal. When he was done, Vanessa looked at Zac.

"Do you want to burp him for me while I get cleaned up?" Vanessa asked.

"Sure Van" Zac said.

Vanessa handed the infant over to Zac and he took Troy into his arms and smiled. Vanessa left the room. Zac patted Troy's back trying to get him to burp, until he finally did. He then kissed his head and saw Troy's eyes closing. Zac put his son in his crib and looked at him one last time. He turned around and turned the light off. Zac walked to the bedroom and saw Vanessa in the bathroom. He walked over and kissed her cheek.

"Is Troy asleep?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah he is. He will be out for a while so why don't you get some sleep, baby" Zac said.

"I will" Vanessa said kissing Zac's lips.

Zac and Vanessa got into bed. Vanessa snuggled into Zac's embrace and put her arm around his torso.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too" Zac said.

Zac and Vanessa had gone through their first night of parenthood with ease. They both hoped that this would be as much work as they had to do.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Zac woke up to a cry. He quickly and quietly got up and walked to his crying son's room. Zac looked into the crib and saw Troy crying, he picked him up and swayed side to side.

"Troy, what's wrong, huh? Let's not wake mommy up. She's really tired" Zac said closing his son's door.

Zac held his son until he saw Troy close his eyes. He smiled and kissed his head softly and put him carefully back into his crib. Zac then walked to the door and stopped, making sure Troy didn't start crying again. When there was no sound to be heard, Zac walked out of the room and into the master bedroom. He got into bed again and Vanessa snuggled back into his embrace. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Is he okay?" Vanessa asked concerned.

"Yeah, he just wanted some attention. Go back to sleep baby girl. I will get him if he cries again" Zac said.

Vanessa closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep. Zac then fell asleep after her. Later that morning, Zac woke up to an empty bed. He got up and out of bed, walking to Troy's room. Zac looked into the infant's crib and saw that he was not there. He then went downstairs and saw Vanessa rocking Troy back and forth soothingly as he fell asleep. Zac leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen and smiled. Vanessa then turned around and saw Zac smiling.

"He just started crying. I gave him his bottle and he fell asleep" Vanessa said.

"You should have woke me up Van" Zac said lifting his son out of his girlfriend's arms.

"I was up anyway babe. By the way, my mom really wants to see him today. Are you off or do you start filming today?" Vanessa asked.

"I have to be on set by nine. I will be home by four at the latest" Zac said rubbing his eyes.

"Okay. Let me get Troy ready" Vanessa said opening her arms so Zac could put Troy into them.

"I love you bud" Zac said softly as he kissed his son's head.

Vanessa smiled and went up to her boyfriend and took Troy out of his arms carefully. She then raised her head and stood on her tip toes and kissed Zac.

"I love you babe" Vanessa said.

"I love you too baby. So much" Zac said putting his hand on her face.

Troy gurgled causing Zac and Vanessa to laugh.

"We love you too Troy. How could we forget you?" Zac said kissing his head.

Vanessa took Troy upstairs and changed him. She then brought him back downstairs. Zac saw Vanessa come downstairs with Troy in her arms and smiled.

"I have to get going. I will see you later, call me if you need me" Zac said kissing her lips.

"I will. Have fun" Vanessa said kissing him again.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too Zac" Vanessa said.

Zac walked out the door and got into his car. Vanessa watched her boyfriend drive away and closed the door behind her.

"What are we going to do now that daddy is gone Troy?" Vanessa asked her son.

Troy snuggled into Vanessa's arms. Vanessa walked upstairs and put Troy into his crib. She then walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Vanessa sat down on the couch until she heard the phone ring. She looked at the caller ID and smiled.

"Hey Stella" Vanessa said.

"Hi Van, can I come over to visit Troy?" Stella asked.

"I actually was going to come over and see you guys in like an hour. Zac just left so Troy and I will be the only ones coming" Vanessa explained.

"Okay, see you then" Stella said.

Vanessa hung up the phone and went upstairs to get Troy.

"You are going to visit your auntie, Troy" Vanessa told Troy.

Vanessa picked Troy up and walked downstairs. She then walked out of the house and locked the door. Vanessa put Troy in his car seat , closed the door, and drove to her mother's house. Vanessa parked her car at her mother's house and got Troy out of the car. Vanessa rang the doorbell and waited for her mother to answer. Vanessa's mother answered the door and smiled.

"Hi Troy, come here honey" Gina said.

Vanessa put her son in her mother's arms and smiled.

"He is getting so big, Van" Gina said observing her month old grandson.

"Yeah Starla said that Zac was the same way when he was an infant" Vanessa said admiring her mother holding her son.

"Oh really? By the way, there was something I was meaning to ask you" Gina started to tell her daughter.

"What's up?" Vanessa asked as she sat down in the kitchen.

"Are you and Zac going to get married? I know that you just had Troy, but thinking into the future, do you know what you want? Gina asked.

"Mom, we are just starting to get a handle on having a baby. If we through marriage into that then it would twice as stressful as it is now. As for the future, I want Troy to have his father in his life. I love Zac so very much and could never stand to see the day that I would possibly have to say goodbye. He is an amazing dad to Troy. I could never see myself with any other man besides him" Vanessa said.

"I understand that. But, would you marry him right away or would you wait until Troy is older or what?" Gina asked her daughter.

"I would do whatever I thought was right for Zac, Troy, and I" Vanessa said.

Vanessa picked up Troy and held him closely in her arms.

"Troy, is the best thing that has ever happened to Zac and I. It wasn't planned but we were able to get through it. Whatever is right for us, then that's what we will do" Vanessa said.

"You are a really great mother Van. You really are. Watching out for your family and trying to keep them out of harm. You learned how to adjust in just nine and a half months. I am so proud of you and Zac for doing what you needed to do and not caring what anyone else would think of your decision" Gina said.

"Thanks mom, anyway Troy needs a nap so I think we need to get going" Vanessa said.

Vanessa stood up with Troy still in her arms. Gina stood up as well and kissed her daughter's cheek. She looked at Troy and smiled. Gina kissed Troy's head softly.

"Say hello to Zac for me" Gina said.

"I will" Vanessa said walking out the door.

The rest of the day, Vanessa hung around the house and got up occasionally to tend to Troy's cries. She realized that what her mother was telling was true. She could take care of her family by herself and was able to adjust to the circumstances that she and Zac had to face.


	11. Chapter 11

That night Zac opened the door and walked through the house to the family room where Vanessa was holding Troy. Zac smiled.

"How's he doing?" Zac asked as he kissed Vanessa's lips.

"He just ate. He probably is going to fall asleep soon. How was work?" Vanessa asked.

"It was good but so long. I just wanted to get through everything so I could home and see you both. How was your visit with your mother?" Zac asked picking Troy up out of Vanessa's arms.

"It was good. She really wanted to see Troy. She asked me if and when we are getting married. I told her that whenever we want to do it then we will" Vanessa explained.

"She brought up marriage with you? Well at least you told her the truth. I do want to get married but we just had a baby" Zac said.

"That's what I told her" Vanessa said.

"Well if your mother is asking that then imagine what my family is thinking" Zac said swaying back and forth with Troy in his arms.

"Hey when we decide to get married then we will. It doesn't have to today, in a month, or even a year" Vanessa said.

"I do love you though, very much" Zac said.

"I love you too Zac. More than you will ever know" Vanessa said.

Zac kissed Vanessa's lips. Troy then started crying.

"Aw Troy. Daddy's here. I got you" Zac said as he swayed back and forth with Troy in his arms.

"You are a good daddy, baby" Vanessa said.

"You are a good mommy " Zac said smiling.

The doorbell rang and Zac walked to the door with his son. He then opened the door and saw his family.

"Give me my grandson Zac" Starla said opening her arms

"What are you all doing here?" Zac asked as he put Troy into his mother's arms.

"We came to surprise you" Dylan said.

"Well you did" Zac said smiling.

Zac let his family into the house and closed the door behind them.

"Baby? We have some visitors" Zac called through the house.

Vanessa walked into the family room and was stunned.

"Hi guys. What are you doing here?" Vanessa asked greeting her boyfriend's family.

"We decided to drive by since we had to pick up Dylan from college and we were in the area" Starla told Vanessa.

"Oh. Would you like to stay for dinner?" Vanessa asked.

"Sure" Starla said.

The Efron family and Vanessa caught up with each other. Later that night, the group made dinner together and sat down at the table.

"He's adorable Van" Dylan said referring to his nephew.

"That's what everyone has been telling us" Vanessa said as she held Troy and put a bottle into his mouth.

"So now that we are here, we have a question" David, Zac's father said.

"Okay, shoot" Zac said.

"When are you going to get married? I mean there is no rush but since you both have been together for almost five years and have a child wouldn't that be the next step to take?" David asked.

"Dad, we just had a baby, that wasn't planned. Yes, we both want to get married but our lives are really crazy and stressful. I have to go out of town in two days" Zac said but then realized he hadn't told Vanessa.

Vanessa put Troy into Starla's arms and walked upstairs.

"See, I didn't even remember to tell my girlfriend I have to go out of town. I will be right back" Zac said getting up out of his seat.

Zac walked upstairs and saw the bedroom door closed. He sighed and knew he was in trouble. Zac walked up to the door and knocked.

"Ness, I know you are mad, I should have told you. With everything going on, I forgot and I am sorry. I know you think that I am a jerk for not telling you and I feel horrible" Zac said.

Vanessa opened the door slowly and crossed her arms.

"I am really sorry baby. I mean it" Zac said.

"You didn't think it was important to tell me, your girlfriend, the mother of your child, that you were going out of town?" Vanessa asked.

"I knew that I had to babe, but it slipped my mind. We both haven't gotten much sleep and I forgot" Zac said explaining.

"How long will you be gone for?" Vanessa asked leaning her head on the doorframe.

"Two days. I just have a bunch of appearances to make for this movie. I will come home right after" Zac said.

"I was just upset that you didn't tell me sooner Zac. We have a child and have to think about him as the first priority" Vanessa said.

"I know and I understand. I'm sorry baby, I really am" Zac said.

Vanessa walked closer to her boyfriend. Zac smiled. Vanessa then stood on her tip toes and kissed his lips.

"Just don't let it happen again" Vanessa said.

"I won't. I promise" Zac said.

Vanessa came out of the room and entwined her fingers with Zac's. The couple then walked into the kitchen where Zac's family and Troy were.

"He just fell asleep" Starla said.

Zac reached into his mother's arms and picked up Troy, carefully so he wouldn't wake up. He then walked to Troy's room, put him into his crib, and kissed his head. Zac then walked back into the kitchen.

"Is he asleep?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, he should be out for a while" Zac said sitting next to Vanessa at the kitchen table.

A few hours later, Zac's parents left. Zac closed the door, after saying goodbye to his parents. He then walked to the kitchen and saw Vanessa at the sink, with her back to him. Zac walked to her back, and kissed her shoulder.

"I love you" Zac said.

Vanessa turned around and smiled.

"I love you too, baby" Vanessa said.

Zac kissed Vanessa and put his arms around her. Vanessa jumped into his arms. Zac then carried Vanessa to their bedroom and shut the door behind them. The next morning, Vanessa heard Troy crying and got up. She walked to Troy's room and smiled.

"Hi baby. Let's go see daddy" Vanessa said picking Troy up.

Vanessa walked to the bedroom with Troy in her arms. She saw that Zac was awake and saw him smile.

"Did I hurt you last night, Van?" Zac asked concerned.

"Not at all" Vanessa said smiling at Troy and looking up at Zac.

"Are you sure?" Zac asked.

"Yes Zac. I would tell you if you did" Vanessa said

"Okay, I was just making sure" Zac said holding his hands up.

Vanessa smiled, kissed his cheek but pulled back and scrunched her nose.

"What?" Zac asked.

"You need to shave, babe. It's not sexy" Vanessa said.

"That's not what you said last night" Zac said coyly.

Vanessa turned around and blushed.

"That's cold" Vanessa said.

Zac laughed and pressed a line of kisses down her neck.

"Zac, I have to get ready. Don't do this now" Vanessa said.

"You are even more beautiful than ever" Zac said flirtatiously.

Vanessa kissed Zac's lips and got out of bed with Troy. The rest of the day, the little family enjoyed their time together.


	12. Chapter 12

Zac got out of bed and walked his girlfriend to the door. He kissed her head and then her lips. Vanessa was going to meet up with her manager to discuss a possible new music opportunity.

"Call me if you need anything. I won't be out for too long" Vanessa said.

"Go. Relax. Do what you need to do. I have everything under control" Zac said reassuringly.

"Okay, bye. I love you" Vanessa said kissing his lips.

"I love you too. Now get out of here, you are going to be late" Zac said kissing her lips.

Zac watched Vanessa walk out to her car, get in, and drive away. He closed the door and heard a cry. Zac walked upstairs quickly and saw Troy crying.

"Hey bud, what's wrong huh? Zac asked the infant.

Zac smelled his son's diaper and carried him to the changing table that was next to his crib.

"Troy, today I am going to ask your mommy a very important question. You have changed our lives so much. The past several months have tested our relationship and I now know that we could do this forever. I love you so much" Zac told the infant.

Zac quickly changed Troy's diaper. He then carried his son downstairs and into the kitchen. Zac opened the refrigerator and found a bottle for Troy. He then put it in the microwave and waited for it to heat up. After the microwave beeped, Zac got the bottle out of the microwave, tested it, and put it into Troy's hungry mouth.

"Let's go get you ready to go to grandma's" Zac said.

Zac put Troy into a new outfit, grabbed his keys and Troy's bag, then left the house. Zac put Troy into his car seat, buckled him in, and closed the backseat door. He then went to the driver's side and got in. Zac drove to Vanessa's mother's house and shut off the car. He then got out and went to the back seat and got Troy out. Zac walked to the front door with Troy in his arms. He then carefully rang the doorbell. Stella answered the door smiling.

"I love you, I love you, I love you" Zac said repeating.

"You owe me big time but I am happy to watch my nephew" Stella said.

"I know. After this, say the word and I am there. I will come get him tomorrow around twelve" Zac said.

Zac kissed Troy's head and put his son into Stella's arms.

"Zac?" Stella called.

Zac turned around and looked at his girlfriend's sister.

"Go get her, tiger" Stella said smiling.

Zac started to laugh.

"I will. Take care of my son" Zac said.

Zac got into his car and drove back to the house. He then got ready. Zac put the engagement ring that he had bought a couple weeks earlier into his shirt pocket. He heard the door open and walked downstairs.

"Hey" Zac said kissing Vanessa's lips.

"Hi" Vanessa said smiling.

"You need to go get dressed" Zac said.

"For what?" Vanessa asked as Zac led her to the bedroom.

"We are going out" Zac said.

"Where? What about Troy?" Vanessa asked confused.

"It's a secret. He's staying at your mother's for the night" Zac said.

Zac then picked out a little black dress for Vanessa to wear.

"Come on we have reservations in half an hour" Zac said.

Zac left and Vanessa was confused. Vanessa changed into the black dress that Zac picked out. She then walked downstairs.

"Let's go" Zac said.

Zac and Vanessa walked to the car and got in. Zac then drove to Vanessa's favorite restaurant, Milanos, and parked the car. He then walked to Vanessa's side and helped her out of the car. The couple walked hand in hand into the restaurant and were seated. Zac then took Vanessa's hand in his.

"Van" Zac said.

"Zac, what's going on?" Vanessa asked.

"I have to tell you something babe" Zac said.

"Is it bad?" Vanessa asked worriedly.

No, it's exactly the opposite" Zac said smiling.

"Okay, go on" Vanessa urged.

"Vanessa, the last five years have been amazing. I have fallen in love with you more each day since we met. You have made me the man I am today and you have given me a son that is perfect in every way possible. When you smile, I smile. When you cry, I cry. We have been through so much together" Zac said.

"I don't understand" Vanessa said holding his hand.

Zac got up and got on one knee. Vanessa then understood, loud and clear. She put her hand to her mouth and released the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I love you more than you will ever know. I can't ever see my life without you or Troy. Vanessa Anne Hudgens, will you make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me?" Zac asked.

Vanessa's hands shook as she released more tears. She nodded.

"Yes Zac, I will marry you" Vanessa said through her tears.

Zac smiled and kissed her lips passionately.

"I love you so much" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

The rest of the night, Zac and Vanessa walked through the little park that was next to the restaurant holding hands. They then drove home. The next morning, Vanessa turned over in bed. She opened her eyes and smiled as she looked at her fiancée's sleeping face. Vanessa then snuggled into Zac's embrace and kissed his cheek. She then moved the hair that was covering his eyes to the side. Zac then opened his eyes slowly and smiled as he saw Vanessa playing with his hair.

"Good morning, gorgeous" Zac said smiling.

"Good morning, handsome" Vanessa said.

Zac leaned in and kissed Vanessa's lips softly. Vanessa then kissed back and ran her fingers through Zac's hair.

"Mmmm. I love your kisses" Vanessa said giggling.

"You are so funny" Zac said kissing her lips again.

"What time do we have to go get Troy?" Vanessa asked curiously.

"I told your mother that we would pick him up at twelve" Zac said.

Vanessa sat up and looked at the clock. It read eleven. She then lied back down and snuggled into Zac's chest.

"Are you happy?" Zac asked.

"Of course I am. I have the perfect life. I have the most adorable two month old son and the greatest fiancée in the world" Vanessa said smiling.

"That's what I was thinking" Zac said entwining their fingers together.

"So when are we going to tell our parents?" Vanessa asked.

"How about we call them all tomorrow and tell them together?" Zac suggested.

"Sounds good" Vanessa said.

The rest of the day Zac and Vanessa hung around the house with Troy. They couldn't wait to be able to start their lives as husband and wife.


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, Vanessa woke up to loud crying. She walked quickly to the infant's room and picked him up. Vanessa walked around the room with Troy in her arms, trying to soothe him and make him stop crying. Zac woke up and heard his son crying and walked to Troy's room and smiled. Vanessa was sitting in the rocking chair that was next to the crib and was singing to the infant. Zac made himself known by leaning against the doorframe of the room.

"Is he okay?" Zac asked softly.

"Yeah, he just wanted some attention. Plus I think he's hungry" Vanessa said stroking her son's head.

"I will get him a bottle" Zac said walking away and going downstairs to the kitchen.

Zac heated a bottle for his hungry son, tested it, and walked back upstairs. He walked into his son's room and handed the bottle to Vanessa. Vanessa then put the bottle into Troy's hungry mouth.

"He's like you, always hungry" Vanessa said jokingly.

"Hey, I take that as an insult. That wasn't very nice babe" Zac said as he folded his arms playfully.

Troy made a sound and Zac smiled.

"See even Troy thought that was mean" Zac said trying not to smile.

Vanessa put her Troy into his crib and kissed his head. She then looked at Zac, who was sitting on a chair. Vanessa walked over to him and sat on his lap.

"I'm sorry, babe. I will make it up to you" Vanessa said seductively.

Zac smiled and felt Vanessa's lips crash onto his. He then got up with Vanessa in his arms. The couple then walked to the master bedroom and shut the door behind them. A couple hours later, Vanessa woke up to Zac staring at her.

"Can I help you, sir?" Vanessa asked jokingly.

"Maybe" Zac said smiling and putting his arm around Vanessa's body.

"Hey, there is not going to be a round two. Our parents are coming over, remember?" Vanessa said.

"I know, but Ness? Zac asked whining.

"Babe, come on" Vanessa said firmly as she got out of bed.

"Fine" Zac said getting out of bed.

The couple went to Troy's room to check on him. They looked into his crib and found him fast asleep. Zac and Vanessa then walked quietly out of the room and went downstairs.

"What time are our parents coming?" Zac asked as he sat down in the kitchen.

"I told them 4" Vanessa said looking at the clock which read three thirty.

Zac then walked over to Vanessa and kissed her cheek.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too babe" Vanessa said.

The doorbell rang and Vanessa heard Troy cry. She walked quickly upstairs while Zac got the door. Vanessa then walked downstairs with Troy in her arms. She saw both of their families. Vanessa greeted them and handed her son to Stella, whose arms were wide open.

"So what's going on guys?" Starla asked the couple as they sat down in the family room.

"Please tell me you aren't pregnant again, Van" Stella said jokingly as she sat down on the couch.

"No, I'm not pregnant. But, we do have an announcement" Vanessa said smiling and looking at Zac.

"Well what is it?" Gina, Vanessa's mother asked.

Vanessa looked at Zac and nodded at him.

"We are engaged" Zac said smiling.

The families were both silent. They then took in the news and smiled.

"I'm so happy!" Stella said hugging her sister and future brother in law.

"Congratulations kids! We were wondering when you would finally pop the question Zac" Starla said.

"Thanks, mom" Zac said.

"Wait a minute, where is the ring?" Dylan asked.

"Here's the thing. The ring I ordered happened to be on special order, in which they had to make each one that is purchased, after they purchase it. So, the ring should be here in a couple days" Zac said.

"When are you getting married?" Stella asked the couple.

"We want to get married when we are on a break. So that we will have time to plan, order everything, and do everything else that we need to do" Vanessa said looking at their families.

The rest of the night, Vanessa and Zac talked about the wedding with their families. At nine o'clock, Zac closed the front door and leaned against the wall as he closed his eyes. He then walked upstairs where Vanessa was checking on Troy.

"How's he doing?" Zac asked.

"He's getting fussy" Vanessa said holding the infant.

Vanessa walked around the room with Troy in her arms and tried to make him stop crying. After fifteen minutes of trying to make Troy stop crying, he finally fell asleep. Vanessa walked back upstairs with the sleeping infant in her arms. She put him into his crib, kissed his head, and left the room. Vanessa walked downstairs and saw Zac lying on the couch.

"Is he asleep?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, he just fell asleep finally" Vanessa said.

"So, I have to tell you something" Zac said.

"What's up?" Vanessa asked sitting on the couch next to Zac.

"I just got an amazing movie deal" Zac said.

"Babe, I am so proud of you" Vanessa said happily.

"The problem is that I have to go to New York for a month to film" Zac said carefully.

"When do you have to leave?" Vanessa asked.

"I leave in two weeks" Zac said.

Vanessa looked at Zac and snuggled into his side.

"We will miss you" Vanessa said.

"I will miss you guys too but look, since I will be gone, I want you to stay with Stella. So you have some extra help while I am gone. I don't want you to wear yourself to exhaustion. What do you think?" Zac asked.

"I think that's fine. Did you ask Stella if it was okay for us to stay there?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes I did, she said it was fine because Ryan would be gone on a business trip then he will be going to visit family" Zac explained.

"Okay" Vanessa said snuggling to into Zac's warm body.

"I love you babe" Zac said.

"I love you too baby" Vanessa said.

The rest of the day, Zac and Vanessa hung around the house and tended to Troy's cries. Vanessa was hoping that this business opportunity would be worth the distance sacrifice that Zac would have to make.


	14. Chapter 14

Two weeks later, Zac finished packing the rest of his suitcase and closed it. He then picked up the suitcase and walked downstairs. Vanessa was feeding Troy when she saw Zac come down the stairs. Zac smiled at her and leaned against the doorframe.

"I have to go Van. The car just pulled up" Zac said.

Vanessa took the bottle out of Troy's mouth and put it on the kitchen counter. She then walked over to Zac and handed him Troy. Zac kissed Troy's head and then put him into his portable crib that was in the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen and Vanessa jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around Zac's waist.

"I am going to miss you both so much" Zac said.

"I am going to miss you too" Vanessa said wrapping her arms around Zac's shoulders.

Zac leaned in and kissed Vanessa's lips passionately. Vanessa, wanting more, knew she had to control herself because Zac had to leave. She pulled back and rested her forehead onto Zac's.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too. Call me when you get there" Vanessa said.

"I will" Zac said kissing her one last time.

"Stella is supposed to come over to pick us up in an hour" Vanessa said.

"Okay, have fun" Zac said.

Zac walked out the front door and opened the car door and got in. The driver then drove away. Vanessa closed the door and wiped away her tears. The phone rang and Vanessa ran to get it.

"Hello?" Vanessa answered.

"Hey, Van I will be there to pick you both up in ten minutes" Stella said.

"Okay. We will be ready" Vanessa said.

Vanessa hung up the phone and got Troy ready to go. She then put her son into his car seat and waited for Stella to come. The doorbell rang five minutes later and Vanessa walked to the door and opened it.

"Hey, there is my favorite nephew" Stella said opening her arms to Troy.

Vanessa put her son into Stella's arms. They then walked out the door and got into Stella's car. Once the sisters got to Stella's house, Stella opened the door and let her sister and nephew in.

"Make yourself at home" Stella said.

Vanessa put Troy's car seat down. She took the infant out of it and walked him to the family room where Stella was. Vanessa sat down and heard Troy start to cry.

"Shh...Troy. I know you miss daddy. I miss him too" Vanessa said to the infant as she rocked him back to sleep" Vanessa said.

"Is he okay?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. I think he needs a diaper change though" Vanessa told her sister.

"Oh okay. The bedroom upstairs on your left is yours" Stella said.

"Thanks Stella" Vanessa said.

Vanessa walked upstairs with the crying infant and walked into the room that Stella gave her. The room had picture frames on the wall of Vanessa and Stella. There were also pictures of the entire family. Vanessa looked around and observed the bed. It was big, too big for her small frame.

"God I miss you Zac" Vanessa said looking at the bed.

Vanessa then carried her son to the bed and changed his diaper.

"See, you are all better" Vanessa told Troy.

Vanessa picked up her son and kissed his head. She then heard her phone ring, and walked to the bedside table and picked it up.

"Hello?" Vanessa answered.

"Hey Ness" Zac said.

"How was your flight?" Vanessa asked.

"It was fine. Are you at Stella's?" Zac asked his fiancee

"Yeah, we just got here. Troy just had a fit but he's okay now" Vanessa said.

"Oh. He misses his daddy. How are you doing?" Zac asked.

"I'm doing okay. I'm sad that you had to leave us for a month but it's your job" Vanessa said.

"I know sweetie. I will be home before you know it though" Zac said.

"Yeah I know" Vanessa said tearing up.

"Aw babe. Please don't cry" Zac said.

"I'm sorry. I just miss you" Vanessa said.

"I know baby. I miss you too, so much" Zac said.

"When do you have to start filming?" Vanessa asked.

"We start at three this afternoon. I better go" Zac said,

"Okay, I love you Zac" Vanessa said.

"I love you too Ness, so much" Zac said.

The couple hung up and Vanessa put her phone back down on the bedside table. She then looked at Troy and smiled.

"Come on Troy, let's go see what aunt Stella is doing" Vanessa said.

Vanessa carried Troy downstairs to the family room where Stella was.

"Did Zac call?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, he just got there" Vanessa said sadly.

"Van, he will be back before you know it" Stella said.

"Yeah I know, it's just really hard to have a child and have a boyfriend who has a job that requires him to go to different places for a long time" Vanessa confessed to her sister.

"I know it's hard, Van. But you will get through it. When you found out you were pregnant you learned how to assimilate until Zac got back. Now that you have Troy, it's a little different. You got me" Stella said.

I am really happy to have you as my sister Stella. You have been there for me through thick and thin, better or worse. You are my best friend and I love you" Vanessa said.

Stella stood up from the chair that she was sitting in and sat next to Vanessa. She gave Vanessa a hug and kiss on the cheek. After the sisters talk, Troy started crying. Vanessa held the infant in her arms and tried to soothe him, but he kept crying.

"Can I try Van?" Stella asked.

"Sure" Vanessa said putting Troy into her sisters arms.

Stella held the infant and rocked him back and forth, slowly. Troy's cries turned into whimpers, which then silenced.

"You have must have the magic touch. He has never stopped crying that fast before" Vanessa said.

"I'm his aunt, he loves me more obviously" Stella said jokingly.

"Ha, more than his own mother, clearly" Vanessa said laughing.

The rest of the day Vanessa and Stella hung around the house, tending to Troy's cries when needed. Vanessa felt closer to her sister, now more than ever. She was thankful that she had Stella in her life to help her out when she needed it.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, Stella was woken up by her nephew's cry. She got out of bed and walked to the five month olds room and smiled. Stella picked up her crying nephew and rocked him around the room. Once he stopped crying, Stella put him back into his crib.

"Troy, you need to be good for your mommy. She is sad that your daddy left" Stella said.

Stella walked out of the room and saw Vanessa walking towards it.

"Is he okay?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. He just wanted to be held" Stella explained to her sister.

"I was dead asleep and heard him. I didn't know you were up" Vanessa said rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, I wake up early. I have to tell you something Van" Stella said nervously.

"What's up?" Vanessa asked sitting in a chair that was in the room.

"I'm pregnant" Stella said crying.

"What?" Vanessa whispered.

Vanessa put Troy into his crib and walked over to her sister and held her.

"It will be okay, Stella. Does Ryan know?" Vanessa asked.

"Not yet. I am scared to tell him Van. He never wanted kids" Stella said as tears cascaded down her face.

"Stella, he needs to know. Remember when I found out I was pregnant? I was scared to death to tell Zac. I thought he was going to leave me, pregnant and alone" Vanessa said.

"But Ryan, isn't like Zac. He gets angry when things do not go his way" Stella said wiping her tears.

"You need to tell him regardless. Is he on a business trip?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah" Stella said.

"When does he come back?" Vanessa asked.

"Tomorrow" Stella said.

"You will tell him then" Vanessa said.

"Will you be there with me?" Stella asked.

"If you want me to" Vanessa said.

"I want you there" Stella said.

Vanessa held her sister and stroked her hair.

"Do you know how far along you are?" Vanessa asked her younger sister.

"I am twelve weeks" Stella said.

"No matter what happens Stella, I will always be here for you. If you have a question, or if something happens, you know where to find me" Vanessa said.

"Thanks Van, you are the best sister anyone could ever have" Stella said hugging her sister.

Stella went upstairs to take a nap while Vanessa put her son in his crib and picked up her phone and dialed the familiar number that she had known for five years.

"Hey babe" Zac said.

"Hey, how's everything?" Vanessa asked tiredly.

"Everything is good. I miss you" Zac said.

"I miss you too Zac. We have a problem" Vanessa said.

"What happened? Is Troy okay? Are you okay?" Zac asked panicking.

"We are fine. Stella is pregnant" Vanessa said.

"Oh man, did she just find out?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, she is afraid to tell Ryan. She thinks he will leave her" Vanessa said.

"That sounds familiar" Zac said jokingly.

"Zac, it's not funny" Vanessa said.

"I'm sorry, honey. It just reminded me of you" Zac said.

"Anyway, she wants me to help her tell Ryan tomorrow when he comes home" Vanessa said.

"Okay, sounds good. I can't wait until I come home to see you" Zac said.

"I have to go babe, I love you" Vanessa said.

"Okay, I love you too say hi to Stella and give Troy a kiss for me" Zac said.

"I will, bye babe" Vanessa said.

Stella came downstairs and smiled at Vanessa.

"How about I get some dinner for us?" Vanessa asked.

"Okay" Stella said quietly.

"You okay?" Vanessa asked her sister.

Stella shook her head. Vanessa went up to her sister and held her as she cried.

"Stella, you are going to be fine. If Ryan doesn't accept that you are pregnant, then you don't need him in your life" Vanessa said rubbing her back.

"I am just scared to lose him. I will have to raise this baby by myself" Stella said crying into her sister's chest.

"No you won't. I talked to Zac and he agreed that you can move in with us, if he doesn't approve" Vanessa said wiping tears away from Stella's face.

"I love you Van" Stella said hugging Vanessa tighter.

"I love you too Stella, I won't let anything happen to you" Vanessa said.

That night, Vanessa prayed that tomorrow would go well for Stella. She didn't want to see Stella hurting. The next morning, Vanessa woke to the sound of throwing up. She ran to the bathroom and held her sister's hair and rubbed her back. After Stella was finished, she washed her face and cried.

"You scared about today?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah" Stella said.

Before Vanessa said anything else, the sisters heard the doorbell ring. They both looked at each other and walked downstairs. Stella opened the door to see her boyfriend, Ryan standing there.

"What's wrong babe? Why are you crying?" Ryan asked concerned.

"I have to tell you something" Stella said.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked.

"I'm pregnant" Stella said crying.

Ryan was silent. His eyebrows then furrowed and he looked at Stella.

"Get out" Ryan said.

"Ryan, I'm sorry" Stella whispered.

"Get out" Ryan said louder.

Vanessa pulled Stella away from Ryan and they walked out the door. The sisters got into the car and Stella cried.

"Stella, it will be okay" Vanessa said trying to comfort her sister.

"I thought he loved me enough, that he would be there for me, always" Stella said.

"Stella, he's a jerk. You will live with Zac and I until after the baby is born, okay?" Vanessa said.

"Thank you Van" Stella said

The next couple weeks went by fast. It was a warm summer day when Vanessa woke up and smiled. Zac was finally coming home. Vanessa walked to her son's room and picked him up.

"Daddy is coming home today, Troy" Vanessa said happily.

Vanessa went downstairs and saw her sister drinking tea.

"When's Zac supposed to be here?" Stella asked her sister.

"He told me eleven" Vanessa said looking at the clock which read ten thirty.

The doorbell rang and Vanessa ran to get it. She opened it and saw Zac's face. Vanessa jumped into her fiancée's arms.

"I missed you babe" Vanessa said.

"I missed you too" Zac said.

"Hey, there is another important person that missed you as well" Stella said carrying Troy to Zac.

Zac smiled and walked up to Stella and took his son from her arms. He kissed Troy's head softly.

"I missed you too bud" Zac told his son.

The rest of the day, Vanessa, Zac, Stella, and Troy relaxed around the house. They didn't know what their future together would hold but they hoped it would be positive.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, Vanessa woke up to the sound of throwing up. She ran to the guest bathroom to see her sister crouching over the toilet. Vanessa walked over to her younger sister and rubbed her back soothingly. She then got a washcloth and soaked it with water and rubbed it against Stella's face. Once she was done, Stella brushed her teeth and looked at Vanessa.

"How are you feeling today?" Vanessa asked.

"Like I am going to blow up" Stella said.

"You are not going to blow up. You are pregnant" Vanessa said.

"I am going to go back to bed" Stella said.

"Okay, remember you have a doctor's appointment at twelve today" Vanessa said reminding her sister.

"I know, thanks Van" Stella said walking to her room and closing the door behind her.

Vanessa walked back to her bedroom that she shared with Zac and got back into bed. She snuggled into Zac and put her arms around him.

"What's wrong?" Zac asked not opening his eyes.

"Stella had morning sickness. I helped her out" Vanessa said closing her eyes.

"Oh, is she okay?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, she's just really tired. Did Troy start crying?" Vanessa asked.

"No, he is sound asleep" Zac said.

The couple fell asleep. A couple hours later, Zac got up and went to Troy's room and picked him up out of his crib. He brought his son downstairs and got him a bottle. Zac kissed Troy's head and then put him in his day chair. He heard someone come downstairs. Stella walked into the kitchen.

"How are you feeling Stell?" Zac asked.

"Lousy" Stella said.

"Sorry to hear but at you get something out of it" Zac said holding Troy in his arms.

Stella smiled.

"Yeah. Can I?" Stella asked holding his arms out to Zac.

Zac put his son into Stella's arms.

"You are a natural" Zac said observing his fiancée's sister with his son.

"Thank you" Stella said.

"When is your appointment?" Zac asked.

"At twelve. Vanessa is going to go with me" Stella said.

"Okay, I am going to take Troy to visit my parents" Zac said.

"That will be nice" Stella said.

Vanessa came downstairs and saw her fiancée and sister talking.

"Stella are you ready to go?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, let's go" Stella said.

Stella left the room and Vanessa kissed Zac's lips.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too babe. Good luck" Zac said.

"Thanks" Vanessa said.

Stella and Vanessa walked to the car. They got in and drove to the doctor's office. Stella signed herself in and sat down next to Vanessa.

"You nervous?" Vanessa asked.

"No" Stella said.

Vanessa looked at her sister, who was biting her nails. She took Stella's hands away from her mouth.

"I will be with you the whole time. Just relax" Vanessa said.

A nurse called Stella's name and the two sisters followed her into an exam room. The nurse told Stella to change into a gown. Once Stella was changed, she sat on the exam table.

"Just breathe, Stella. Everything is going to be okay" Vanessa said reassuringly.

Dr. Peter came into the room and smiled.

"Vanessa, nice to see you again. How is Troy?" Dr. Peter asked.

"He's doing well" Vanessa said.

"So Stella, I am assuming you want to see the baby today?" Dr. Peter asked.

Stella nodded.

"Vanessa, can you help her lie down?" Dr. Peter asked.

Vanessa helped her sister lie down on the bed. Stella then took Vanessa's hand and held it for dear life. Dr. Peter put cold gel onto Stella's stomach and took the wand and rolled it across Stella's stomach.

"There is your baby, Stella. It is healthy" Dr. Peter said.

"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" Stella asked curiously.

Dr. Peter rolled the wand across Stella's stomach and stopped.

"It's a girl" Dr. Peter said.

Vanessa smiled at Stella and kissed her head.

"Thank you Dr. Peter" Stella said.

Dr. Peter gave Stella the ultrasound pictures and the sisters left the office happily.

"See that wasn't bad at all. Now we have one more Hudgens girl to add to the family" Vanessa said.

"I wish that Ryan could enjoy and love his daughter like I am going to" Stella said as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Hey, let's not be depressed today. This is exciting news and we are going to celebrate" Vanessa said smiling.

The sisters drove home and walked into the house. They walked into the family room and smiled. Zac was asleep, holding Troy on the couch. Vanessa smiled and walked over to the boys. She then lifted Troy out of his father's arms. Vanessa then walked upstairs and put him into his crib.

"How was your appointment, Stell?" Zac asked.

"It was good, I am having a girl" Stella said.

"Congratulations! I am so happy for you" Zac said smiling and giving Stella a hug.

"Thanks Zac" Stella said.

"No problem, I am always here if you need me and so is Van" Zac said.

Stella smiled and tears moved down her face.

"Hey, hey, hey, no crying today" Zac said.

"Sorry, I am just emotional today" Stella said.

Zac rubbed her back and kissed her head.

"I know it's tough Stella. You are so strong for doing this on your own. I am really proud of you and I know Van is too" Zac said.

"Thanks Zac. I really am happy that you are marrying my sister. She chose a really great guy" Stella said.

"Yeah I am glad that I am going to marry her too. She's perfect. Stella, you will find someone that treats you right" Zac said rubbing her back.

"Thanks Zac" Stella said.

The rest of the day Zac, Vanessa, Stella, and Troy celebrated the new female addition to the Hudgens-Efron family. Stella was so happy that she had her sister and Zac to go to if something happened to her. The next day, Stella ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. Zac woke up to the noise of throwing up and walked to the closed bathroom door. Zac knocked on the door.

"Stella, are you okay?" Zac asked.

When Zac got no answer, he opened the door and saw Stella, his "little sister" throwing up and showing no signs of stopping. He kneeled down to her level and rubbed her back soothingly.

"It's okay Stella, I am right here" Zac said reassuring her.

Stella continued throwing up then stopped after ten minutes. She then brushed her teeth and washed her face.

"You okay?" Zac asked.

"I am not feeling well, at all" Stella said.

"I know, how about I make you some tea? That always helped Van, when she was pregnant with Troy" Zac suggested.

"Okay" Stella said.

Zac turned around and was about to walk out the door when he heard Stella's voice.

"Zac?" Stella asked.

Zac turned around and looked at Stella.

"I love you and thank you for being there for me" Stella said.

"I love you too, and no problem. I will be here whenever you need me" Zac said.

The rest of the day Vanessa, Zac, Stella, and Troy hung around the house and got used to Stella being pregnant. Zac and Vanessa hoped that Ryan would come around and help Stella.


	17. Chapter 17

That night, the doorbell rang and Vanessa walked to the door with Troy in her arms and opened it. Ryan, Stella's boyfriend stood in front of the door and smiled.

"Hey Ryan, how are you?" Vanessa asked smiling.

"Everything is fine. Is Stella around?" Ryan asked curiously.

"Yeah she is. Come on in" Vanessa said closing the door behind them.

Ryan and Vanessa walked to the family room and saw Zac sitting on the couch with Troy.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Zac said shaking Ryan's hand.

"It's going well. I am looking for Stella" Ryan said.

"I will go get her" Vanessa said walking upstairs.

A few minutes later, Vanessa came downstairs with a tearstained Stella. Stella saw Ryan and didn't know what to say.

"Hey, can we talk about this?" Ryan asked calmly.

"Okay" Stella said.

Stella looked at Zac and Vanessa, giving them a signal that they wanted privacy. The couple left the room.

"Stella, I know that I was a jerk. I admit that. I blew up because the news was shocking and I didn't know how to deal with it" Ryan started.

"You couldn't have just not know how to deal with it and figured it out with me? Ryan I am scared and I don't know what to do" Stella said tearing up.

"Babe, I am really sorry. I love you and I will love this baby" Ryan said.

Ryan wiped his girlfriend's tears away and hugged her tightly.

"I love you" Ryan said.

"I love you too" Stella said crying.

"Do you know how far along you are?" Ryan asked rubbing her back.

"Four months" Stella said putting her hand on her small expanding stomach.

"I want you to move back in. We can deal with this together" Ryan said putting his arm around her.

"I am giving you one more chance, if you mess it up, we are done" Stella said.

Ryan smiled and kissed Stella's head.

"Do you want to know the sex?" Stella asked.

Ryan nodded and smiled.

"It's a girl" Stella said smiling.

Ryan put his hand on Stella's stomach and leaned in to kiss Stella's lips.

"I am so happy baby" Ryan said.

Stella kissed Ryan again slowly. Ryan pulled back.

"Is it safe?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, it's perfectly safe" Stella said.

Ryan raised his eyebrows and Stella shook her head.

"I don't want to" Stella said.

"Why babe?" Ryan asked.

"I don't look hot" Stella said.

"Stella, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes" Ryan said touching her cheek.

Stella smiled and hugged her boyfriend. Zac came into the room with Troy in his arms.

"Baby is in the room" Zac said jokingly.

Stella turned to look at Zac and her nephew, smiling.

"Did you both work things out?" Zac asked sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, I told him if he doesn't want this baby, then I will leave him" Stella said.

Zac raised his eyebrows.

"What?" Stella asked looking at Zac's expression.

"Nothing, you are exactly like Vanessa." Zac said.

"Is that what she said to you when she told you she was pregnant?" Stella asked shocked.

"No but the way you handle situations is exactly how she does" Zac said looking down at a sleeping Troy in his arms.

"Well then you better watch out" Stella said.

Zac shook his head.

"I am going to let that one slide, since you are pregnant" Zac said.

"Zac I am pregnant, not disabled" Stella said.

"Whatever you say" Zac said.

Stella's eyes filled up with tears. She knew that Zac was joking but her hormones made her overly emotional. Stella ran out of the room and slammed her bedroom door shut.

"Women" Zac whispered.

"I have to go to work. Can you tell Stella, and tell her I love her?" Ryan asked.

"Sure" Zac said.

Ryan walked out the door and closed it behind him. Zac went upstairs and saw Stella's bedroom door closed. He walked up to the door and knocked.

"Stella, I am sorry. I was joking around. I didn't mean anything I said" Zac said.

Vanessa and Troy came into the hallway where Zac was trying to apologize to Stella through the door.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked.

"I was joking around and Stella took it personally" Zac explained.

"Hold him" Vanessa said giving her son to Zac.

Zac took his son into his arms. Vanessa knocked on the door.

"Stella, it's me. Can I come in?" Vanessa asked.

Vanessa put her ear to the door and heard her sister agree. Vanessa walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

"You okay?" Vanessa asked walking toward the bed where Stella was sitting.

"No" Stella said.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked.

"Zac said I was disabled because I am pregnant" Stella said wiping her tears.

"Stell, Zac was joking. He said stuff like that to me when I was pregnant. Don't take offense to it" Vanessa said.

"Okay" Stella said wiping her tears.

Vanessa then left the room.

"Is she okay?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, you upset her Zac. Don't do that" Vanessa said.

"I didn't mean to" Zac said.

Stella came out of the room and went downstairs. She saw Zac and gave him a little smile. Zac went up to Stella and gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry Stella. I was joking. I didn't think you would take it personally" Zac said.

"I forgive you. Just do not upset me like that again" Stella said.

"You got it" Zac said smiling.

Stella took her nephew out of Zac's arms.

"I can't wait to have one of you in five months" Stella told Troy and kissed his head.

Zac smiled.

"When are you going to tell mom?" Vanessa asked.

"Tonight. I told her that Ryan and I had to talk to her about something" Stella said holding Troy.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

That night, Vanessa and Stella's parents came over for dinner.

"I can't believe how big he has gotten Vanessa" Gina said talking about her grandson.

"I know, he's going to be like Zac" Vanessa said.

"I have an announcement" Stella said looking at Ryan.

Everyone looked at Stella.

"I'm twenty one weeks pregnant and I am having a girl" Stella said nervously.

"Oh honey" Gina said.

Gina hugged her daughter tightly.

The rest of the night, the Hudgens-Efron family talked about the new addition that would be coming in four months.


	18. Chapter 18

The next day Stella got up but felt heavier. She looked in the mirror and cried. Her bump had officially come. Vanessa heard Stella crying and walked into her room.

"Hey, hey, hey what's wrong?" Vanessa asked concerned.

"I'm fat" Stella said.

"Stella, you are not fat. You are pregnant" Vanessa said trying to reassure her sister.

Stella went to her bed and lied down.

"This pregnancy has made the whole world turn upside down" Stella said.

"Why has it?" Vanessa asked concerned.

"Ryan called and said we are done" Stella said tearing up.

"I thought he wasn't going to leave you again?" Vanessa asked.

"Well he lied. He left me, the mother of his child, alone" Stella said.

Stella cried into Vanessa's chest. Vanessa rubbed her back soothingly.

"How about you go relax, get into bed, and I will bring you some tea?" Vanessa suggested.

"Okay" Stella said agreeing with her sister.

"Van?" Stella asked as Vanessa was about to walk out the door.

"Yeah?" Vanessa asked.

"Thank you for being the best friend and sister I could ever ask for" Stella said.

Vanessa went up to her sister and kissed her head.

"I love you, and I will always be here for you when you need me" Vanessa said.

"I love you too" Stella said.

Vanessa went downstairs and saw Zac putting Troy into his day chair. Vanessa went up to him and kissed his arm.

"What's wrong?" Zac asked.

"Ryan left her" Vanessa said simply.

"Oh god" Zac said wiping the hair out of his face.

"Don't get upset Zac. Stella is already upset as it is and we do not need you to be upset also. Yes, it's upsetting but do not show anything to Stella" Vanessa said.

Zac nodded.

"I am going to go back upstairs" Vanessa said.

Zac held her back.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said kissing Zac's lips.

Vanessa went upstairs and brought her sister tea. She sat on the bed.

"Why does everyone leave me?" Stella asked.

"I didn't leave you" Vanessa said.

"But the one that supposedly loved me the most did. The father of my child, doesn't want anything to do with me" Stella said.

"Stella, that's how it goes sometimes. You can't control him" Vanessa said.

Yeah , I know" Stella said.

A couple weeks later, Vanessa got up and saw her sister getting ready. She leaned against the door.

"You ready for your appointment?" Vanessa asked her sister.

"Yeah, let's go" Stella said.

The sisters got into the car and drove to the doctor's office. Stella signed herself in and sat next to Vanessa carefully because of her expanding bump.

"Stella Hudgens" A nurse called.

The sisters followed the nurse. The nurse then took Stella's vitals and escorted them into an exam room.

"I wonder if the baby has grown?" Stella asked.

"Well she obviously has. You wouldn't have a bump if she wasn't" Vanessa said.

Dr. Peter came into the room. He washed his hands and dried them. He shook Stella and Vanessa's hands.

"You want to see the baby today?" Dr. Peter asked Stella.

"Yeah" Stella said looking at Vanessa.

Dr. Peter told Stella to lie back. He heated the ultrasound machine and put gel onto Stella's stomach. Dr. Peter then moved a wand across the gel and stopped.

"She is getting big" Dr. Peter said.

"That's good" Vanessa said.

"Wouldn't that make it harder for me to push her out?" Stella asked curiously.

"No, it means that she is getting the nutrients from you that she needs to be healthy when she comes out" Dr. Peter explained.

"Oh okay" Stella said.

"See there is the head" Dr. Peter said pointing to the computer screen.

Stella released her tears. She was finally happy with what was going on. Stella had a loving and caring family, friends that helped her out when she needed it, and she wouldn't change it for the world.

"I need to do an internal exam Stella, so just relax" Dr. Peter said.

Dr. Peter put a sheet over Stella's legs and got a sterile bag with tools from a cabinet in the exam room. Vanessa gave Stella her hand and smiled. Dr. Peter put Stella's legs in the position that he wanted and disappeared under the sheet. Stella scrunched her face and squeezed Vanessa's hand.

"Breathe Stell" Vanessa said.

Stella breathed deeply until Dr. Peter finally came up and smiled.

"She is in the right position. Everything looks fine, Stella" Dr. Peter said.

"She's okay?" Stella asked.

"Yes, perfectly healthy and her heartbeat is strong" Dr. Peter said.

"Thank you Dr. Peter" Stella said.

Dr. Peter left the room and Vanessa turned to Stella.

"She is healthy, that's the main thing" Vanessa said.

"Yeah, I can't believe that in four months she will be here" Stella said.

Vanessa helped Stella get dressed. They then walked to Vanessa's car and drove back home. The sisters got out of the car and went inside the house. Zac was holding Troy on the couch when the women walked in.

"How did the appointment go?" Zac asked Vanessa.

"It was fine. The baby is very healthy" Vanessa said.

"That's good. How's Stella?" Zac asked holding Troy.

"She is fine. Now she is just excited to have the baby" Vanessa said.

"Two babies in the house is going to be a lot of work" Zac said.

"I know babe" Vanessa said leaning her head onto Zac's shoulder.

"Has she talked to Ryan?" Zac asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that every time he is brought up, she gets upset" Vanessa said.

"Van!" Stella called.

Vanessa stood up from her spot on the couch and went upstairs.

"What's up?" Vanessa asked leaning against the doorframe.

"I think she just kicked" Stella said putting her hand on her bump.

"Really?" Vanessa asked touching her stomach.

"Feel" Stella said.

Stella put Vanessa's hand on her bump. Vanessa felt a kick come in contact with her hand and smiled.

"That's amazing, Stella" Vanessa said.

"Yeah, at first I didn't know what it was, but then I realized that she was kicking" Stella said smiling.

"How about you go take a nap? You look exhausted" Vanessa said.

"Okay, I love you Van" Stella said.

"I love you too Stell. I will be downstairs if you need me" Vanessa said.

Stella walked to her room and got under the blanket that was sitting on her bed. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, knowing that everything was going to be okay.


	19. Chapter 19

A couple weeks later, Stella was seven months pregnant and very hormonal. Everything that was done for her needed to be perfect or she would get angry. One day, Stella was trying to talk to Ryan about when she has to deliver and who she was going to live with but it was not going well at all.

"Ryan, I do not want you there when I am in labor" Stella said angrily on the phone.

"Why not Stella? This is my daughter too, you know. Just because you carried her for nine months doesn't mean she is just yours" Ryan said trying to reason with his ex-girlfriend.

"We are longer together so why would I want to have someone there that brings me negative energy? Have you ever given birth or experienced labor? The only person I want in the delivery room is Vanessa" Stella said yelling at Ryan.

"Stella, I know you are mad but we need to put our differences and hostilities for each other to the side. We are going to have a baby and whether you like it or not, I am her father and going to be in her life forever, so you better just calm down" Ryan said.

"Why would I want to be around someone who doesn't care about his family? I am not the one who left his pregnant girlfriend and unborn child. I only want my sister there and that is final" Stella said hanging up the phone.

Stella looked at the phone and took a deep breath. She then went downstairs with her hand on her bump and walked into the kitchen. Zac looked up from the newspaper he was reading and saw Stella taking food out of the refrigerator.

"I assume that talking to Ryan didn't go well?" Zac asked.

"He wants to be in the delivery room with me. Why would I want the father of my unborn child there when I have her when he left us?" Stella asked.

"Stella he is trying to get along with you" Zac said putting down his newspaper.

"Well I don't want him there or in the room" Stella said.

Vanessa came into the room with Troy and smiled at her sister and Zac.

"He just got up so he is a little upset" Vanessa said placing Troy in Zac's arms.

Zac looked down at his son and smiled.

"What's going on?" Vanessa asked looking at Zac and Stella.

"Ryan wants to be there when I have her" Stella said.

"Well he is the father of your child Stella. I know that he left and everything but he is trying to resolve things with you" Vanessa said.

"Yeah, I know he is. Should I talk to him?" Stella asked her sister.

"I think you both have things you need to get off your chests regarding this relationship and your daughter. She is going to come in four months Stell. You have to put everything to the side and focus on her" Vanessa said.

"I will call him. Are you happy now?" Stella asked getting hormonal.

"Yes" Vanessa said.

Stella called Ryan and they agreed to meet at the park that was down the street from Vanessa and Zac's house. Vanessa drove Stella to the park. Before she got out, Vanessa stopped her.

"Good luck Stella" Vanessa said.

"Thanks" Stella said getting out of the car.

Stella walked to the table where Ryan was sitting and sat down carefully.

"Hi" Stella said.

"Hi" Ryan said.

"You wanted to talk?" Stella asked.

"Yeah. I know you think I am a jerk for leaving but everything just happened so fast. I never thought I would become a father at twenty one Stella. I don't want you to think I left because of you. I just needed some space and time to think. I didn't expect you to blow up on me like you did. I want to be there when my daughter is born" Ryan said.

"I understand. You also have to realize that you are not doing the leg work Ryan. I am the one that has to deal with morning sickness, aches and pains, gaining weight, and having to give birth. I am so scared to have this baby because I don't know if I can handle it by myself. Yes I know I have my parents and Vanessa but it's not the same. When I told you that I was pregnant, I never thought you would ever consider leaving me, until you did. When you left, I was hurt and scared. You didn't want anything to do with us and now I don't know what to think. As for you being in the delivery room, I only want my sister there" Stella said with tears streaming down her face.

"I know babe. I regret leaving, I really do. I am really sorry" Ryan said.

Stella cried the hardest she had ever cried. Ryan got up from his seat and took Stella into his arms. He rubbed her bump and kissed her head.

"I love you, and I am never going to hurt you like this ever again" Ryan said.

"I love you too" Stella said crying into Ryan's neck.

The next couple hours, Stella and Ryan tried to figure out a plan for when the baby came. Ryan then drove Stella home and they both walked into the house.

"Stell? Are you okay?" Vanessa asked her sister, who was red in the face from crying.

"Yeah, it was just a difficult conversation" Stella said.

"Are you both okay now?" Vanessa asked.

"We are not together but we are going to try and get along for the sake of our child" Stella said.

"That's good. I am glad that you talked it out with him" Vanessa said hugging her hormone raging sister.

The next couple days, Stella and Ryan tried to figure out their plans when their daughter arrived.

"How about this? I will drop her off at your house in the afternoon on Wednesdays and then you bring her back on Sundays" Stella suggested.

"That's fine. What about birthdays and holidays though?" Ryan asked.

"We will split them. You get her for half the day and I get her the other half" Vanessa said.

"Sounds like a plan" Ryan said.

The rest of the day Stella and Ryan tried to make a complete schedule for their visits with each parent. Vanessa and Zac knew that everything was going to be fine and they were proud of Stella for finally talking to Ryan and putting their daughter first.


	20. Chapter 20

The next couple weeks had gone quickly for the Hudgens-Efron household. Stella was eight and a half months pregnant and exhausted. All she did was sleep and eat. All she wanted to do was have her daughter in her arms. One morning, Stella got up and walked downstairs carefully. She got to the kitchen where Zac was feeding Troy and smiled.

"How are you feeling Stella?" Zac asked as he fed Troy.

"I'm exhausted" Stella said looking in the refrigerator.

Stella closed the refrigerator and went to the pantry. She then suddenly doubled over in pain.

"Zac!" Stella cried.

Zac got up quickly and found Stella holding her stomach.

"Come on I will help you sit down" Zac said calmly.

Zac helped Stella sit in a chair at the kitchen table.

"I am going to get Vanessa" Zac said as he ran upstairs.

Zac went upstairs to find Vanessa getting dressed.

"Stella went into labor" Zac said.

"She's two weeks early!" Vanessa said.

Vanessa and Zac went downstairs and into the kitchen. Vanessa kneeled in front of her sister.

"How far apart are the contractions Stella?" Vanessa asked.

"Ten minutes" Stella said with her hands on her bump.

"We have to go to the hospital" Vanessa said.

"I will get Troy and follow you. Go ahead" Zac said.

Vanessa helped Stella to the car and buckled her in. As they drove to the hospital, Stella was in a lot of pain.

"Oooh" Stella said trying to breathe through a contraction.

"Just breathe Stella" Vanessa said calmly.

The sisters got to the hospital and Vanessa helped Stella into the hospital. She then went to the front desk.

"My sister is in labor" Vanessa said.

A nurse came up to them with a wheelchair. The nurse then helped Stella into the chair and rolled her to the elevator. Stella grabbed Vanessa's hand. The nurse then rolled Stella into a hospital room.

"Take off everything and put this gown on. We are going to call your doctor" the nurse said.

Vanessa helped Stella change and lie down in bed. Stella breathed through a contraction. After it passed, Stella relaxed.

"Good job, Stella. You are doing great" Vanessa said.

"It hurts" Stella said.

"I know, but it will be over soon" Vanessa said wiping the hair away from her sister's face.

A couple minutes later there was a knock on the door. Dr. Peter came into the room and smiled.

"You ready to have a baby today?" Dr. Peter asked.

"Yes" Stella said gripping Vanessa's hand.

"I am just going to check your progress" Dr. Peter said.

Stella put her head against the back of the bed and breathed deeply as Dr. Peter checked her. Dr. Peter came up smiling.

"You are at 4. You have a ways to go. If you want an epidural, just press the nurse button" Dr. Peter said.

"Okay" Stella said.

Dr. Peter left the room and Stella squeezed her eyes shut and started breathing deeply.

"Just relax" Vanessa said rubbing Stella's back.

A couple hours later, there was a knock on the door. Vanessa got up from her seat and opened it, revealing Zac.

"Hi" Zac said kissing Vanessa's lips.

"Hi" Vanessa said.

"How is she doing?" Zac asked as he walked into the hospital room.

"She's at 6 right now. The baby looks good right now" Vanessa said looking at Stella, whose eyes were closed.

"Mmmm…Van" Stella moaned.

Vanessa walked over and sat down in the chair she had been sitting in previously.

"I'm right here sweetie. Just breathe okay? You are doing so well" Vanessa said stroking her sister's hair.

Stella breathed deeply until the contraction was over. She then opened her eyes wider.

"Hi Zac" Stella said.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Zac asked.

"I'm in pain but I am dealing with it. Remind me why I wanted to do this naturally?" Stella said.

"You said you didn't want the baby to come out drugged, I think that's how you worded it" Zac said.

"Very funny, oooh" Stella said closing her eyes.

Stella breathed through the contraction and then relaxed.

"It hurts so bad!" Stella cried.

"You are doing amazing Stella" Vanessa said.

An hour later, Dr. Peter came into the room.

"Let's see how you are progressing" Dr. Peter said.

Right when he said that, the monitors started going off. Dr. Peter got up and looked at the monitors, then looked at Stella.

"Stella, the baby is in distress and need to externally turn her into the correct position again" Dr. Peter said.

Stella nodded. Dr. Peter called a couple nurses to help him.

"IT HURTS!" Stella screamed as Dr. Peter and the nurses turned the baby into the correct position.

Vanessa smoothed Stella's hair back and kissed her head. After Dr. Peter and the nurses turned the baby, the monitors stopped making noise.

"She's okay" Dr. Peter said.

"What made her do that?" Stella asked tiredly.

"Sometimes when the baby is coming down, they turn in the opposite direction" Dr. Peter said.

"Oh, do you know how far along I am?" Stella asked.

Dr. Peter checked Stella and came up smiling.

"You are ready. Let me go get my stuff and we will get started" Dr. Peter said.

Stella looked at Vanessa nervously.

"I will be right back, I am going to tell the waiting room clan" Vanessa said.

Vanessa walked into the waiting room and all eyes landed on her.

"How's Stella?" Gina asked her daughter.

"She's ready to push. I just came out here to give you an update. I need to get back there" Vanessa said.

Dr. Peter got Stella's legs in the position that she wanted. Vanessa then walked to Stella's side and took her hand in hers.

"Stella, on my count you are going to push until I get to ten okay?" Dr. Peter said quietly.

Stella nodded and took a deep breath.

"Okay Stella, bear down and push" Dr. Peter said.

Stella took a deep breath and pushed hard. After Dr. Peter finished counting, Stella fell back against the bed.

"Great job Stell" Vanessa said.

"Stella, you need to push again" Dr. Peter said.

Stella pushed and screamed.

"I can't do it!" Stella said with her head against the bed.

"Stella, yes you can. Just breathe and push" Vanessa said.

Stella took a deep breath and pushed again.

"I can see the head, Stella. Keep going" Dr. Peter said.

Stella screamed and squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed.

"The head is almost out" Dr. Peter said.

"It hurts" Stella said.

"I know it does, honey. You are so close to your baby Stella" Dr. Peter said.

Stella pushed hard and screamed.

"The head is out. One more push and she will be here" Dr. Peter said.

"I can't. I am too tired" Stella told Vanessa.

"Stella just one more push then your daughter will be here" Vanessa said encouraging her.

Stella took a deep breath and pushed for the final time, feeling her daughter leave her body. Dr. Peter laid the baby on Stella's chest. Stella started crying.

"You did it Stella! I am so proud of you" Vanessa said tearing up.

"Oh my god" Stella said crying as she looked at her daughter in her arms.

Vanessa kissed Stella's daughter's head.

"What are you going to name her?" Dr. Peter asked.

"Brianna Rose Hudgens" Stella said looking at her daughter.


	21. Chapter 21

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on Stella's hospital room door. Vanessa opened it and it revealed Zac.

"Is it okay to come in?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, you are okay" Stella said tiredly.

"How are you feeling?" Zac asked.

"Tired, giving birth was harder than I ever expected it to be" Stella said looking down at Brianna.

"But worth it" Vanessa added.

Stella nodded and released silent tears.

"She's beautiful, Stell. You did a great job" Vanessa said.

"Thank you, and thank you for being there for me. I don't mean just this either. When all the Ryan stuff happened, you were there. Through the whole pregnancy you have been there for me, and I want you to know that I love you. You didn't have to do what you did, but you did" Stella said.

"I love you too and like I said, I will be here for you whenever you need me" Vanessa said moving stray hairs from her sister's face.

There was a knock on the door and this time Zac answered it, revealing Ryan.

"Hi Zac" Ryan said.

"Do you want to meet your daughter?" Zac asked happily.

Ryan nodded and shook Zac's hand. He then walked into the room and saw Stella lying down with their daughter in her arms. Ryan walked to the bed and smiled at Stella.

"She's beautiful Stella, just like you" Ryan said.

"I know, I can't believe she is here" Stella said giving Vanessa a look to give them some privacy.

"She is so tiny" Ryan said.

"She was two weeks early" Stella said.

"What's her name?" Ryan asked.

"Brianna Rose Hudgens" Stella said.

Ryan looked down at his hands. He wished that Stella would take him back so they could be a family, but he knew that wasn't an option right now.

"Do you want to hold her, Ryan?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, if it's okay with you" Ryan said.

Stella carefully put Brianna into Ryan's arms.

"Was the birth hard?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I mean getting her out was scary. She was turned the wrong way right before she came out. I was scared that something was going to happen to her" Stella confessed.

"Oh man. I wish I could have seen her be born" Ryan said kissing his daughter's head.

"I think that the place that we are at is where we are going to be for a while. I need to be able to trust that you are not going to walk out on us again" Stella said.

"I fully understand. Thank you" Ryan said.

"For what?" Stella asked.

"For allowing me to be part of her life" Ryan said looking at his daughter.

"If you screw up though, I will not allow you to be in her life" Stella said.

"You have a deal" Ryan said.

Stella yawned.

"Go to sleep Stella. You need it" Ryan said.

"Mmm..okay" Stella said closing her eyes.

"I love you" Ryan said kissing Stella's head after putting his son into the hospital crib.

"Love you" Stella mumbled.

Ryan walked out of the room and saw Zac and the Hudgens family looking at him.

"She is beautiful" Ryan told Vanessa.

"What did she say when she saw you?" Vanessa asked.

"She said she wants us to stay where we are because it's good for us. I need to gain her trust back" Ryan said.

"I agree. You just need to gain each other's trust back and then you will be able to go back to where things were" Vanessa said.

Ryan smiled.

"Thank you for calling me, Zac. I really appreciate it" Ryan said.

"No problem, man" Zac said shaking his hand.

Vanessa snuggled into Zac's embrace as they watched Ryan leave.

"Well that went well. I am proud of you babe" Zac said.

"Why are you proud of me? I didn't do anything" Vanessa said confused.

"You helped your sister through the most emotional time in any woman's life. You are the strongest woman I know, even when you get scared of what will happen in the future, you always figure out a way to get to the next part. I love you very much" Zac said stroking her hair.

"I love you too. I just went with what my head was telling me to do. I was scared to death, Zac. Dr. Peter said that Brianna was in distress and I didn't know what to do or say. I knew I had to stay calm for Stella because then she would get upset and that would be a whole other issue" Vanessa said as she leaned her head onto Zac's shoulder.

"Yeah I would never in a million years be able to be that calm if something like that happened" Zac said.

"Should we go see if my parents are here?" Vanessa suggested.

"Yeah" Zac said.

The couple walked hand in hand to the waiting room and saw Vanessa's parents waiting anxiously.

"How is she?" Gina asked Vanessa.

"She is fine and so is your granddaughter" Vanessa said smiling.

"Can I go see her?" Gina asked.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

Gina walked to the door of Stella's hospital room and took a deep breath. She then knocked on the door and heard a faint "come in". Gina walked into the hospital room and looked at Stella and smiled.

"Hi honey" Gina said.

"Hi, would you like to meet your granddaughter?" Stella asked holding Brianna.

Gina nodded and came closer to the bed. Stella carefully put Brianna into her mother's arms. Gina held Brianna and could not help to shed a tear.

"She's beautiful Stella" Gina said.

"Thanks mom" Stella said.

"Look, I know that I was a little harsh for not accepting this at all but I don't want it to interfere with our relationship. I am your mother and I will always love you. Even when you make mistakes like this" Gina told her daughter.

Stella cried as she listened to her mother's words. Gina went over to her and sat on the edge of the hospital bed and rubbed her daughter's back.

"I love you too" Stella said wiping her tears away.

"Now, get some rest. You just accomplished the hardest thing a woman can ever do" Gina said smiling.

Gina leaned over and kissed Stella's head and got off the bed.

"I love you" Gina said turning around.

"I love you too mom. Thank you for coming" Stella said.

The rest of the day Stella got to know her daughter. She fell asleep that night with a smile on her face, knowing that everything was going to be okay.


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning, Stella woke up to her hospital door opening. She sat up as far as she could and saw Ryan smiling at her.

"Hey" Ryan said.

"Hey" Stella said.

"How is Brianna today?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know, the nurse hasn't brought her in yet" Stella said.

"Oh, do you want me to go see when they are going to bring her?" Ryan asked.

"Sure" Stella said.

Ryan left and came back with a wrapped Brianna. He then sat on the edge of the bed and put his daughter into her mother's arms.

"So where do we stand, Stella? I mean I love you to death but with myself leaving I feel like I don't deserve someone like you" Ryan said.

"Ryan, I love you too. I mean when you walked out I was hurt and didn't know how I would be able to take care of Brianna by myself. The fact that the father of my child hated me made me feel worse" Stella confessed as she looked at Brianna in her arms.

"First thing, I don't nor will I ever hate you. You and I have never been in a tough situation like this. What I did was wrong, I know that. But I will never regret you getting pregnant and having my child" Ryan said.

"Really?" Stella asked.

"Really, babe. I love you and I never thought what I did would change anything. It was irresponsible and I know it" Ryan said.

Stella had tears running down her cheeks as she looked at Ryan. Ryan took Brianna out of Stella's arms and put her into her bassinet carefully. He then lied next to her on the bed and held her as she cried. Ryan held her and told her he loved her and how proud he was of her.

"I love you" Stella said wiping her tears away.

"I love you too baby, more than you will ever know" Ryan said.

Stella looked up at Ryan and kissed his lips. Ryan kissed her back and then pulled back and smiled. He wiped the stray hair to the side of her face.

"So what do we do now? Am I going to live with Vanessa or am I going to move back in?" Stella asked.

"I want you to move back in. I want us to be a family. Bri needs us to be a family" Ryan said.

"Bri?" Stella asked smiling.

"I nicknamed her when you were asleep" Ryan said.

"Oh, it's cute. I like it" Stella said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Peter came in. She smiled and walked to the bed, looking at Stella's chart.

"Stella, I am going to check you and make sure everything is okay. Then you can leave" Dr. Peter said sitting on the front edge of the bed.

Ryan got off the bed and sat in the chair next to the hospital bed. Dr. Peter picked the bottom of the sheet as Stella spread her legs apart. Dr. Peter examined Stella then wrote notes down in Stella's open chart. Ryan held her hand tightly.

"Everything looks good, Stella. You can go home. Take care" Dr. Peter said smiling.

"Thank you Dr. Peter" Stella said as her doctor walked out the door.

"Do you need help getting up?" Ryan asked as he went to the side of the bed.

"Yes please" Stella said turning to face Ryan.

Ryan held both of Stella's hands and helped her up. He then kissed her lips.

"I am going to go change" Stella said walking to the bathroom that was inside the hospital room.

A few minutes later, Stella came out of the bathroom slowly.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked concerned.

"I am really sore, that's all. Dr. Peter said it was normal" Stella said.

"Okay" Ryan said.

The couple went over to the bassinet and then Stella picked up Brianna. They then left the hospital room and drove home. Ryan parked his car in Stella's driveway. He then went to the backseat and unbuckled Brianna from her car seat. Ryan picked her up carefully and went to the front door, where Stella was already waiting. Stella opened the door and the couple walked in. They both walked to the family room and sat on the couch.

"So what is the plan? Are you going to move in or should I move in here?" Ryan asked.

"I think it would be best if you moved in because I already have all of Brianna's stuff set up and I don't want to disassemble everything then put it back together" Stella said.

"Okay, then I will go home and get my stuff and I will be back" Ryan said.

"Okay" Stella said.

Ryan kissed Stella's lips and left to go get his stuff from his apartment. After Ryan left, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Stella answered while holding Brianna.

"Hey, did you just get home?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, we did. Ryan just left to go get his stuff from his apartment" Stella told her sister.

"So he is going to move in with you?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, I thought it would be easier since I have all of her stuff set up here already" Stella said looking at Brianna.

"That's good, well I was just checking in to make sure you and Brianna were okay. Don't hesitate to call me if you need help" Vanessa said.

"I won't " Stella said.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too, bye" Stella said hanging up.

Stella hung up the phone and looked at Brianna who was sleeping. She then picked her daughter up and walked to Brianna's room and put her into her crib. Stella put the little blanket over her daughter's body and kissed her head. She then went downstairs and heard the door open. Stella saw Ryan moving his belongings into the house.

"Do you need some help?" Stella asked.

"No, I got it" Ryan said moving his suitcases that were full of clothes into the house.

"Just put it in the bedroom and you can sort through it later" Stella said.

A cry was then heard throughout the house.

"I will get her" Stella said walking upstairs.

Stella walked upstairs and saw Brianna crying. She picked her daughter up and tried to soothe her.

"Bri, what's wrong huh?" Stella asked the newborn.

Remembering that the newborn could not respond, Stella put Brianna on the changing table and looked to see if she needed her diaper changed.

"Aw baby, I don't blame you for crying. Let's get you dry and then you can go back to sleep" Stella said to her daughter.

Stella changed Brianna and then carried her to the crib. She then kissed her daughter's head and left the room. The Hudgens-Efron family knew that having a family was going to require a lot of work but they all knew they could make it if worked hard


End file.
